In Order To Survive
by Nightstar Fury
Summary: Young Viking Heir Hiccup Haddock dreams of life beyond the Archipelago; he leaves on his dragon, Toothless-and finds himself in a modernized world. Adapting to a new life while gaining friends, and family; Hiccup finds his fate drawn back home to Berk after 8 years when a threat arises which could wipe out the last Vikings. HiccupXOC Pairing. Rated M.
1. The World Beyond

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

 ***Author's Note;** _Also making it known now, so I don't forget to do it. I do not own the OC characters, Brenden Oliversen, Kelda Oliversen, Katja Oliversen, Eira Solveig, Matthias Baardson, or Frieda Knight. Matthias and Frieda belong to my best friend, XCrimson . MelodyX. Katja, Brenden, Kelda, and Eira belong to ShadowSpirit020. But I own Frode Knight, Henrik Anderson, Ander and Colden Kongur, Vera Grimborn, Olivia Holgerson, Brynjar Holt, and Lightheart. I also own a bunch of other OC's that I made. I'll get them on my Author's Profile as soon as I can so everyone knows for future reference. Thank you! -Nightstar Fury._ *****

The World Beyond

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Monday, 3/1/2010-12 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Isle of Berk; Barbaric Archipelago]_

"Midnight at last," I whispered. My dragon warbled next to me as we stood on together on a high point of the island and looked down upon the village below. "Sorry, Dad. I know you forbid me from leaving, but I going too anyway because no matter what you say or believe; I know there's more out there. Besides; my best friend is a dragon. And Vikings hate dragons…I can't live here with Toothless, so it's best if I leave before you kill him and then either cast me out or kill me," I stated as my dragon nudged my arm. "Let's go, bud," I threw my leg over Toothless's neck and held the rope there before sitting down slowly. Toothless gave a huff and nodded; then he launched into the sky as we headed Southwest. I glanced back quickly and then looked forward again. "Time to see what lies beyond the Isle of Berk, and the boundary of the Archipelago," I said. Not long after leaving; I was able to look back and no longer see the island on which I grew up.

My name is Hiccup Haddock; I'm 14 today. I have auburn hair and green eyes. My parents are Stoick and Valka Haddock. My mother was taken by a dragon when I was a baby, and my father is Chief of the Tribe; the Hairy Hooligans. Technically, I'm my father's Heir to the Tribe, which means that when he retires from being the Chief; I'm supposed to take over. We're Vikings, and we live on an island called Berk in the Barbaric Archipelago. The Hooligan Tribe is not the only one either; there are about fifteen others around the Archipelago on different islands. Those would be Berserker, Bog-Burglar, Lava-Lout, Shivering Shores, Quiet Lifes, Uglithug, Bashem, Peaceable, Hysteria, Murderous, Visithug, Waterlands, Dragon Hunter, Outcast, and Meathead. Most of the islands have Heir's like me, but some don't, and I guess that works out however it does.

We're all Vikings who suffer bad dragon raids and never leave the Archipelago. We receive means of survival such as some foods, metals, paper, and whatnot through the traders who sail in and out of the boundaries. Everything else, we fish, grow, or hunt. Back to dragon raids; we don't know why it happens. Its been an ongoing war since Vikings first sailed to these islands, which is why I know there has to be more outside of the Archipelago. Dragons fly in and raid us. Attacking homes, people, taking livestock and food. There's really no end to it, and we characterize them by classifications, seven of them; Stoker, Tidal, Sharp, Tracker, Boulder, Mystery, and Strike. Now…Strike Class dragons are the elite ones because of their speed and abilities. There are only five dragons in this group; Skrill, Triple Stryke, Threadtail, Wooly Howl, Snow Wraith, and finally, the Night Fury. My best friend happens to be a Night Fury, and why this is bad is because Night Furies, theoretically, are the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself.

Our Dragon Manual on Berk says nothing about them other than; _Speed Unknown. Size Unknown. The unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance is to hide and pray it does not find you_. Well, me being me ended up finding a wounded one. And I learned something very important that could change everything if I was only given a chance to show the Vikings, which I knew I wouldn't because they are ridiculously stubborn. I learned that everything we know about these dragons is wrong because they are being controlled by a much bigger dragon that lives on an island about an hour or two West of Berk. So I met Toothless, and it took a little time, but I gained his trust, and we bonded. When Toothless healed, we were sitting together on Raven Point, a location on Berk and sitting under it is The Cove.

Toothless and I talked, more like I did and he just answered with his noises, facial expressions, or head nods. I knew he was going to leave, and I said I wished I could go too since I didn't fit in with my Tribe. I'm regarded as a troublesome runt and go figure, that's what my name means. I'm a Hiccup, which is the Viking name for the runt of the litter. I'm an only child, obviously, but I'm scrawny and apparently only get in everyone's way, or I don't do anything right. I'm picked on by the kids my age, the village never wants me around, and I'm my father's biggest disappointment. So, Toothless and I were sitting together and when I mentioned wanting to get away; he kind'a motioned for me to get on his back. I was nervous, but I did it. We flew for a bit, and I realized that with me riding him, we could leave. And that's where I'm at now, on Toothless with a few supplies and clothes in a bag on my back as we're leaving the Archipelago.

What choice did I have? I couldn't keep Toothless on Berk, and if anyone ever found out; he'd be killed, then I would either get cast out of the Tribe or killed for treason. I couldn't let Toothless get killed, and why should I stay where I'm not wanted? So the choice was to leave with Toothless and never look back. I didn't know where we'd go, but I knew there was more outside of the walls of the Archipelago, so I was going to explore and live my life with my best friend. I'm sure we could handle whatever came our way, who was gonna give me trouble when I had a Night Fury? Likely no one.

"Alright, Toothless…Let's see what this world has to offer!" I smiled. Toothless roared as he shot forward with a burst of speed.

 **. . .**

 ***Author's Note;** _Okay, so nobody gets ridiculously confused on how I'm doing speech/dialogue. People in Denmark will have this;_ "Normal speech in the quotation marks." _This is them speaking Danish, but written in English. Now, when Hiccup is around them until he learns Danish; he'll be speaking Old Norse/Icelandic, which I will display like this;_ ** _"Bold font in quotations."_** _But everything will be written in English. Make sense? I hope so because that's the best way I can explain it. -Nightstar._ *****

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[7 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Kingdom of Denmark; Copenhagen Military Base]_

Hiccup didn't know where he was, but everything looked different from above. Hiccup couldn't make sense of the things he saw, and the weather wasn't helping any either. Looking down, Hiccup saw people walking around outside in matching clothes. "Let's keep going, Toothless. We need to find a place to set down, eat, and rest," Hiccup informed his Night Fury.

"Let's move, soldiers! We got work to do!" called a male voice. The weather was less than stellar; thunder, lightning, rain, and strong winds. For the Danish Military; this didn't matter. There was training to be done, so rain or shine; they would train. However, overhead; something in the air caught the attention of one member in the group.

"U-Um, sir?" the male rose his hand.

"What is it?" the commanding officer stated. The male pointed up at something black flying through the sky.

"What is that?" the man inquired. Those in the group looked up to see the same thing.

"Appears to be a dragon. It's nothing new, we see them from time to time. They just pass over and mind their own, as do we, some come on," the commanding officer remarked.

"Actually, Lieutenant Kongur…I think he was referring to what was on the dragon's back," another male stated while peering through his binoculars. "I could be wrong…But that looks like a person; a young boy to be exact," he added.

"Give me those," the commanding officer, Lieutenant Kongur, stated as the male handed over the binoculars and looked through them. A moment later, he lowered them. "By the Gods, you are right. I confess that I have never seen a dragon like that before, nor do I recall there being a record of humans able to ride dragons…" he informed, a bit surprised while looking again.

A flash of lightning in the dark skies above caused Toothless to stop fast and rear back. Hiccup slipped off and began falling. "Toothless!" the Night Fury roared and quickly dove down after his friend, as they neared the ground; Toothless wrapped his wings around Hiccup, and then hit the ground and rolled to a stop, laying still.

"What the hell was that Lieutenant Kongur!" another male hurried out with some others, and soon a large group of other training soldiers began to arrive.

"It was a dragon, Major General. One we've never seen before, and there was a young boy riding on it's back. Lightning struck, and the boy fell off; the dragon caught him, and both landed just there," Lieutenant Kongur relayed quickly.

"Have the trainees stay back…This doesn't happen, and we must approach the situation with the utmost care," the Major General informed.

"Aye, sir," a few replied as Toothless started coming to and growling a bit as it opened his green eyes and peered around.

"Let's step back a bit," Lieutenant Kongur suggested. After the people did so, Toothless relaxed a little and opened its wings revealing Hiccup to them. The people took in what they say; a young boy with auburn hair between the dragon's four legs. The boy was in his early teens, with freckles on his face wearing a long sleeve green shirt, brown pants, and boots. Toothless let Hiccup go, and stood up slowly, nudging him and licking his face a few times with a couple of whines.

Hiccup turned his head slowly, groaning. **"Toothless…"** the boy mumbled weakly. The dragon warbled and nudged boy again. The boy put a hand to his head and slowly sat up as the dragon nuzzled his face, purring a little. **"It's okay, bud. Just a hard landing…"** the boy said.

"I, uh, don't think he speaks our language…" one of the soldiers mentioned. Instantly, Hiccup tensed up and scrambled back against Toothless as he wrapped its tail around Hiccup's figure and began growling.

"Easy…Easy, Dragon. We're not going to hurt you," the Major General put his hands up showing he meant no harm.

" **Who are you?"** Hiccup asked.

"It's alright, son. We're not going to hurt you or your dragon…" the Major General asked slowly. Hiccup stared at the man who hesitantly stepped forward towards him. Hiccup gave a shrug and short nod that he kind of understood them. "Can you tell me your name?"

" **I-I'm Hiccup,"** Hiccup replied.

"He barely understands us, and we can't understand him," Lieutenant Kongur sighed. Hiccup frowned a bit, so he couldn't communicate with them? Or maybe he could. Hiccup grabbed something out of his bag and wrote; _I am Hiccup_ on a piece of paper.

"And he doesn't write our language either…" the Major General sighed looking at the words on the paper; they looked like symbols.

"Wait, wait!" a man broke through. Hiccup eyed him; he was middle-aged with brown hair and light brown eyes. "That is Elder Futhark; it's a runic alphabet, Vikings use it. I studied it in college…"

"Sergeant Anderson, are you suggesting this boy is a Viking? Like, swords, shields type of Viking?" Lieutenant Kongur inquired. Hiccup quickly nodded his head.

"See?" the man Hiccup saw as Sergeant Anderson motioned. "Remember that there are people out there who still live the old ways despite us being in the modern age. It's not the first time we've had outsiders in our midst over the years, but this is the first time we've seen someone riding a dragon…Just…Let me try talking to him…?"

"Your call, Major General," Lieutenant Kongur stated.

"We've nothing to lose by trying. Go ahead, Sergeant Anderson," Major General informed. The man nodded as he stepped closer to Hiccup.

"My name is Henrik Anderson. How much can you understand?" Henrik asked slower.

" **When you talk like that, almost all,"** Hiccup said.

"Okay, he's speaking Old Norse, the language used by the Vikings," Henrik enlightened "Closest language to Old Norse was…Icelandic, so let me try it his way," Henrik took a breath. **"Can you understand me better like this?"**

" **Yes! Perfectly!"** Hiccup exclaimed.

" **Great. Alright, so…My name is Henrik Anderson. What is yours?"** Henrik inquired.

" **I'm Hiccup Haddock, and this is Toothless,"** Hiccup responded.

" **Can you tell me where you came from?"** Henrik asked gently.

" **Isle of Berk in the Archipelago,"** Hiccup answered.

" **Could you show me on a map?"** Henrik wondered now. Hiccup turned and dug something out of his satchel and unrolled it on the ground revealing it to be a map. Hiccup placed his finger on Berk and looked at Henrik, who was taking in the rest of the map.

"The top of his map reads as The Barbaric Archipelago, which now is known as the Faroe Islands," Henrik informed those around him. **"Hiccup, are there others like you still living on these islands?"**

" **Yes. There are sixteen Viking-inhabited islands in total,"** Hiccup stated. **"The Tribes don't leave their islands much, and never out of the Archipelago; they say there is no reason to change what works, so they stay put. I left because I know there's more beyond our borders…"**

" **You ran away from home?"** Henrik blinked.

" **With Toothless, yes. We've been flying all night, left when the moon was directly overhead,"** Hiccup told Henrik.

"What has he told you?" Lieutenant Kongur asked.

"His name is Hiccup Haddock, and the dragon he calls Toothless. Hiccup is from the Faroe Islands, on an island called Berk. He stated that there are 16 other tribes besides his own that inhabit 16 of the eighteen islands. Also, that he's been flying since midnight," Henrik reported. "Viking Tribes, like in the history books as Hiccup's map is titled _Barbaric Archipelago_ ," he added.

"Anything else?" the Major General questioned.

"The other tribes don't leave the Archipelago because they like the way things are, as I assume the Viking way or old-fashioned," Henrik stated. "He ran away from his home,"

"Why? The boy can't be more twelve or thirteen," Lieutenant Kongur remarked

Henrik looked back at Hiccup now. **"Why did you run away from home? I'm sure your parents will be worried,"**

Hiccup looked down a bit, shaking his head. **"By the way, I'm 14-years-old for his information. And also, I ran away because I don't fit in with the Vikings, any of them, so I left,"**

Henrik frowned. "What do you mean you don't fit in with them?" he asked, then realized he didn't say it in Icelandic for him.

Hiccup thought a moment. **"I-I..am…different,"** he said, shocking Henrik. **"My…mother…is dead. My father…cares more…about the Tribe than…me even though I'm his…Heir,"** he continued.

" **Heir to what?"** Henrik asked.

 _"_ **My…father is Chief of the Tribe, and I would…take over when he retires or if he dies unexpectedly,"** Hiccup informed.

"He needs to go home," the Major General said. "This could cause many problems. The Vikings could start a war with us,"

Hiccup got scared, backing against Toothless again, which made the dragon start growing. **"No. I-I can't…Go back…"**

"Easy, lad…Easy…Why can't you go home?" Henrik said calmly.

" **Vikings…hate dragons. We're at war with them, have been since Vikings first sailed to the Archipelago…"** Hiccup started. **"A couple of weeks ago…I found Toothless wounded in the woods. I earned his trust, and we became friends…If my Tribe, any of the Vikings found out…They would…kill Toothless, and then I or I'd get cast out on my own anyway…"**

"Hang on; your own Tribe, your father…Would throw you off the island or kill you for being around a dragon?" Henrik asked. Hiccup nodded to him.

" **It's treason, siding with the enemy…Dragons aren't bad; they are just…Misunderstood, like me…I'm different from everyone else back home. I don't have friends, and everyone just pretends like I don't exist unless my dad is yelling at me for something. My dad hates dragons because my mom was carried off by one when I was a baby. Dad said that my mom wouldn't kill a dragon, so it took and killed her; that was 14 years ago. Please? I-I can't go back…"** Hiccup pleaded.

"What's he saying?" the Major General questioned.

"Vikings are at war with dragons; Hiccup left because he's not like other Vikings, and he committed treason by befriending a dragon. The Vikings would cast him from his island, or kill him for such a crime," Henrik explained. "Hiccup can't return to them,"

" **The Vikings won't wage war with you; they're too afraid to leave their islands to see this world,"** Hiccup informed.

"Hiccup says the Vikings never leave the Archipelago out of fear, so they won't wage war with us," Henrik translated.

"We live in the same world, how can they fear it?" the Major General inquired.

" **Because of change. We know there is more beyond our borders of the Archipelago, and we've heard tales from others who travel to these places about how different things are. The other Chieftains don't like what they hear, so we keep things the way they are. The tribes don't wear things as you do; we all wear what I do. We don't have these kinds of things,"** Hiccup motioned to the buildings around them, the lights, vehicles, even the guns on the military officer's belts.

"I think what Hiccup is saying, is that the Vikings live as Vikings did in the Viking Age. They live in their time, not the modern one like we do. They stay…Primitive," Henrik explained. "What Hiccup means is that his people back home know nothing of what lies beyond their islands and past the borders of the Archipelago," Hiccup nodded, confirming that Henrik was correct.

"Alright, so we have a teenager on the run from his home with his dragon, which he can't return to because of their laws…What do we do?" Lieutenant Kongur looked at the Major General now. The higher ranking man rubbed his face and sighed.

"We cannot simply let him go, and it clear we can't send him home either. I understand the Vikings have their ways and laws, but he is just a young boy…" the Major General muttered. "We need to know more about this; I thought any descendants of Vikings had more than integrated into this period, but now I'm learning that we have actual Vikings, still living their ways among us…And this war with the dragons…It cannot be left alone,"

Hiccup got the idea of what he was saying. Hiccup tapped Henrik to get his attention now as the man looked at him. **"I can help. I know all the islands, the Chieftains, and Heirs…Tribe names….I can help them learn more about the Vikings and Dragons too…Just don't send me back there, please? I'll do anything…"**

"Hiccup says that he can provide information about the dragons and Vikings, just don't send him back there…" Henrik looked at the Major General. "He's got nowhere else to go, Major General Olsen…He could stay here,"

"He's not a resident of Denmark, Sergeant Anderson; there is likely no record of him anywhere if this is as primitive as I'm being led to believe," Major General Olsen stated.

"Technically, he is. The Kingdom of Denmark reaches to both Greenland and the Faroe Islands, sir. Sure, there may not be a record of him…But we can explain the situation, get him legal…Can't we?" Lieutenant Kongur suggested.

"He'd have to have an address…This is going to be complicated, but it can be done I suppose," Major General Olsen sighed. "For the time being; he will remain here on the base until we get things sorted out. And nobody breathes a word of this to anyone else. We don't want to cause a panic or raise questions until we ourselves have answers to them. Sergeant Anderson, as you understand and speak his language; I'm placing you in charge of him,"

"Sir, yes sir," Henrik saluted. **"Come, Hiccup. We'll get you checked out, something to eat, a shower, clean clothes, and perhaps a bed to rest in as you've been up all night flying. We can talk later,"** Henrik offered his hand to Hiccup, which Hiccup took and Henrik pulled him up.

" **Can…Toothless stay too?"** Hiccup asked.

" **Well, he can't be in the buildings because he's a bit large, but he'll be close enough outside for you to see him, okay?"** Henrik replied. Hiccup nodded as Henrik led him towards a building and Toothless followed faithfully. Hiccup wasn't sure what would happen next, but as it stood now; he could stay in this place and had been right. There was a whole other world beyond the boundaries, and Hiccup was determined to learn everything he was able to about it.


	2. Always The Hardest

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Always The Hardest

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Monday, 3/1/2010-5 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Isle of Berk; Barbaric Archipelago]_

Another dragon raid come and gone; this one lasted a few hours starting in the early morning hours. But now, the sun was beginning to rise, and the dragons fled, flying off in different directions with fish and livestock. Everyone was tired, trying to catch their breath and meeting in one spot to report on the losses this time around. However, something was different about this attack and everyone noticed it as they were grouping near their Chief. A certain young Heir was not present near his father being yelled at for messing something up or getting in somebody's way.

"GOBBER!" boomed the Chief's voice.

"Aye, Stoick. Right 'ere," a short, portly man with a metal hook for an arm and wooden peg for a leg hobbled over through the crowd.

"Where's Hiccup?" Stoick asked.

"Why ya askin' me?" Gobber inquired while arching a brow.

"Because he's supposed to be in the forge during raids," Stoick reminded with a sigh.

"Oh, well he wasn't there, my friend. Hiccup never showed up for work when the attack started," Gobber stated. Stoick stared at him. "Did ya check the house? I mean, he left the shop last night telling me that he was going to eat at home, then get some sleep because he wasn't feeling well," the man reported.

"Hiccup never said anything to me about being ill," Stoick said. "And I checked on him when I got back from the hall; he was sleeping," the man rubbed his beard a bit; then look back at his house on the hall. "HICCUP!" he called. After a few moments; there was no reply. "HICCUP HADDOCK!" Stoick yelled again. Again, nothing. "I swear…If he's in the forest again…" the man mumbled. "HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD!" Nothing at all.

"Chief, are you sure he was alright last night? It's not like him not to come running when you use his full name," Gobber offered.

"I went in his room and saw him asleep on the bed; I covered him and kissed his forehead. He didn't even feel warm," Stoick explained. Gobber moved past Stoick and to the house; the area was quiet as Gobber knocked on the door.

"'Iccup! Laddie, you in there?" Gobber called. No reply. Gobber opened the door and looked around inside, then vanished past the door. About two minutes later, Gobber was back out panting. "He's gone,"

"What?" Stoick asked, not expecting that to be what he was told. "What do you mean _he's gone_ , Gobber?"

"Room is clean; the bed is made, all his drawing stuff from his desk is gone, the closet is empty…And this was on his pillow," Gobber handed the paper to Stoick.

"What's it say?" Spitelout, Stoick's younger brother asked. Stoick was quiet as he read it to himself first, then his eyes showed worry.

" _Dad,_ _  
_ _If you're reading this letter; then I'm sure you've noticed that I'm gone. I know you said you forbid me from seeing what lies beyond the Archipelago. I'm sorry, but I know there's more out there and maybe I'll fit in somewhere else. I'm not like the rest of you, and everyone knows it. I'm sick of spending every day in that village and people pretending I don't exist unless I'm getting yelled at. I know I'm not the son you hoped for, and I'm never going to be like you, Dad. I'm just like Mom; I had a chance to kill a dragon when it was wounded, but I couldn't kill it. I know what it feels like to be beaten down with no one to help me. I let that dragon go; it let me live. Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think the dragons are as awful as everyone believes they are. Maybe they are just misunderstood, and no one will give them a chance…Like me. Anyway…I decided that I'm never going to be the son or Chief you want me to be. Nobody there believes I can do it anyway; they don't want me as Chief of the Tribe. Things are better this way. I don't know where I'm going; I'm just gonna see where the wind takes me. You can look as much as you want, but I left last night after you checked on me. By the time you get this; I'll be past the boundaries of the Archipelago. Maybe one day we'll see one another again, and you'll be able to accept me as I am along with the Hooligans and other Tribes. But for now, no one wants me around because I'm just the runt son of Stoick the Vast. At least I can't be a disappointment to you anymore, and I can't mess up, or get in anyone's way. It's good for everyone. That's it I guess._ _  
_ _Your son,_ _  
_ _Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."_

Stoick lowered the paper and closed his eyes.

"I'm sure he couldn't have gotten that far," stated Gobber.

"Send ships out in every direction. Find my son, and bring him home," Stoick ordered. "And when he is returned; he will be welcome by all. By the Gods; he's just like his mother, and I should have seen that sooner and accepted him as he was. I've been a fool not to see everything; he's my son…and I treated him like an outcast. Hiccup is the Heir to this Tribe…He may not be a Viking like the rest of us, but he is my son, and this is where he belongs. I will make sure he never forgets that," the Berk Chief informed.

"You heard the Chief! All available hands; pack up and load ships! We search for Hiccup and bring our Heir home!" Gobber called to the rest. "We'll find him, Stoick…Don't worry,"

 **. . .**

 ** _[7:30 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Kingdom of Denmark; Copenhagen Military Base]_

Hiccup was tired and hungry, but he couldn't hide his excitement and curiosity about everything he saw around him. All the different people, structures, objects, sounds; it was incredible. Henrik though it was a bit humorous to see Hiccup's eyes light up while they walked.

" **You seem fascinated by all this,"** Henrik enlightened.

" **I am! It's like nothing I've ever seen before…"** Hiccup replied while still enjoying everything he saw, even if he didn't quite understand any of it.

" **Well, I think the Major General is gonna let you stay, so you'll get the chance to learn all there is about the world beyond your home. It's more…Advanced. Yeah, I think that's the best way to word it,"** Henrik explained with a light chuckle.

" **I can't wait…This is why I wanted to leave, besides protecting Toothless. I knew there was more out here,"** Hiccup smiled. **"What do I get to learn first? Your language?"**

" **First, you're gonna get some breakfast, then a shower and change of clothes. After that; I'll see what Major General Olsen wants to do,"** Henrik informed. **"You'll likely be getting some sleep, and we'll work a plan for how to make it so you can live in Denmark,"**

" **Will your Chief let me live here?"** Hiccup inquired.

" **Our Chief, as you put it, is actually a female. She's the Queen of Denmark, and has been since the year 1972,"** Henrik mentioned.

" **This is my 14th Winter,"** Hiccup looked at him. **"What's the year 1972?"**

" **Not to worry, Hiccup. You'll learn how different the times are."** Henrik assured, forgetting that Hiccup knew nothing about all that. Hiccup nodded as he and Henrik arrived at a building. **"Okay, this is where Toothless has to sit outside. Is he…Going to be alright by himself?"**

Hiccup nodded his head. **"Yeah. Toothless…Stay. I'm going to go inside with Henrik, okay? Just…Lay down and wait for me to come back. I promise I will, bud,"** Hiccup told his Night Fury. Toothless licked his cheek and then sat back before laying down. **"Can he get something to eat too?"**

" **I, uh…What does he eat? I'm afraid we don't have much experience with dragons,"** Henrik asked.

" **Oh! Just fish. Any kind, but no eels. Dragons hate those,"** Hiccup said.

" **I'm sure we can handle that. Come, let's get inside. I think the Major General wanted you to get looked at first, to make sure you aren't hurt from the fall,"** Henrik urged.

" **Am I…Seeing your village elder?"** Hiccup blinked.

" **Is your elder someone who takes care of injuries and sicknesses?"** Henrik questioned.

Hiccup nodded his head. **"Yeah. She's a really old lady, short, and never talks. She writes in old runes that Gobber has to translate for everyone,"**

" **Here, there are men and women who look over people who get hurt or sick. And I guess I'm the one who will be translating so you can understand what they say. These people, we call them doctors and nurses. Doctors are trained to care for injuries big or small, and they can tell you what is wrong with you if you're sick. The nurses can do it too, but they mainly help the doctors and look after someone after the doctor leaves,"** Henrik explained the easiest way he could.

" **Oh,"** Hiccup understood now.

" **I know a lot of it seems new and confusing, but something may actually be very similar,"** Henrik smiled as he led Hiccup down a hall and then to a room on the left.

"Sergeant Anderson, nice to see you again. What can I do for you?" asked a female with blonde hair and brown eyes.

"Hi, Sylvia. How much of the situation a while did you hear with our surprise visitor?" Henrik smiled some.

"Enough to know that he took a hard fall from quite a height. Will he let me make sure he's not hurt?" the woman, Sylvia wondered.

" **Will you let Sylvia make sure you're not hurt from the fall? She's not going to do anything other than check for bruises or cuts,"** Henrik looked at Hiccup.

" **I don't mind,"** Hiccup replied.

"Go ahead, Syl," Henrik told the female.

"Does he understand us?" Sylvia questioned as she patted a spot for Hiccup to sit down on. Hesitantly, Hiccup sat on the object and noticed how soft it was. It looked like a bed, but a metal frame and some, long, soft cushion or pillow on top.

"Very little," Henrik responded. Sylvia smiled at Hiccup.

"Hello there. I'm Sylvia Ibsen," Sylvia introduced. "I'm one of the base medics here," she added. Hiccup looked at Henrik.

" **It means Sylvia is one of the main doctors at this location; this is her job, so while you're here, if you start feeling sick or get hurt, you may end seeing her,"** Henrik explained. Hiccup nodded understanding. Sylvia began looking over Hiccup's face and neck, then she lifted his arms and felt along them. After that, she felt his sides and back.

"It seems like he's alright, a little skinny, though. How old is he?" Sylvia asked.

" **You said you were 14, right, Hiccup?"** Henrik asked.

" **Just turned. My actual day of birth only comes once every four winters between yesterday and today,"** Hiccup informed. Henrik thought about that; then it hit him.

" **OH! Okay, I got it,"** Henrik nodded. "Hiccup is a leap-year baby, so his birthday is February 29th, 1996," he stated to Sylvia. Again, Hiccup got confused but remembered that Henrik said he would learn what all this mean with time.

Sylvia smiled now. "Well, it seems you just turned 14 then, so happy birthday,"

Hiccup got a little bashful; no one ever really said it to him except Gobber. **"Thank you. No one ever says it to me because the day doesn't come every winter…"** Hiccup admitted.

"He said thank you, and no one ever says it because it doesn't come every year," Henrik told Sylvi.

"You poor dear. Just because the day doesn't come every year doesn't mean another year didn't pass and you're a year older than the one before," Sylvia informed. "I'll deal with more personal and medical information later on. For now though; he's clear to go. Go on and take him to eat, Henrik," she added. Henrik nodded as Hiccup got up and followed him out of the room. Henrik brought Hiccup to another large space; it reminded Hiccup of the Great Hall on Berk.

" **Here we are. Come on, let's get you some breakfast. Do you have any allergies; those are certain things that you might get a reaction from eating. Like…maybe a rash or you start having trouble breathing?"** Henrik inquired.

" **I…Don't think so? But I don't know. Morning meal was usually leftover stew, porridge, bread, some fruits, and vegetables,"** Hiccup stated.

" **Well, there's a lot more to choose from here, son. We'll get you the breakfast of champions,"** Henrik laughed a bit as he looked to one of the cooks. "Give him a sampler, Colby,"

"You got it, Anderson," Colby smiled with a thumbs up as he grabbed a plate and started putting things on it that Hiccup had never seen before. After a few moments, Colby handed Hiccup the plate with some utensils as Henrik grabbed a few other things as they moved to a table and sat down. Hiccup didn't question much about the plate not being wood, or that the utensils were thin metal.

" **Go on, give it a try. Don't worry, if you end up being allergic to anything; we get to go right back to Sylvia to fix you up,"** Henrik laughed a bit. Hiccup didn't ask what any of it was, but it smelled good, so he got the fork and just started taking small bites of everything. **"What do you think?"**

" **Odin above; it's amazing!"** Hiccup exclaimed happily. **"I don't know how the Vikings would want to say this is a bad change!"**

Henrik only laughed more. **"Well, maybe one day you can go back just to tell them that they've been missing out. I'd go with you and explain that they were wrong about the world they are part of,"** Henrik said. Hiccup smiled as he kept eating; he never planned to go back. Whatever this _modern_ world as Henrik called had in store for him; he was happy to take it on and accept it as his new life.

 **. . .**

 ** _[8:15 am]_**

After breakfast, Hiccup couldn't believe how full he was and how great the new food he had tried tasted. Henrik gave the plate and utensils back to the cook as he and Hiccup left shortly after. While Hiccup had been eating; Henrik explained what each food was called, and Hiccup got to try regular milk, orange juice, and apple juice. A little of each just to see what it was like. Now, they were headed up a few stairs to the rooms; this is where Henrik told Hiccup he would likely be sleeping for the time being. Hiccup had already checked on Toothless, which he was fine and enjoying a bucket of fish.

" **Alright, and here we are. One of the empty rooms; it has a bed and place to put clothes. I told you about that during breakfast; beds, mattresses, pillows, blankets, sheets, dressers, closets, nightstands, and desks. But you mentioned knowing what some of it was, so we're ahead of the game on that one,"** Henrik chuckled a little while moving over to another door and opening it. Hiccup remembered that Henrik said it was a doorknob and had to be turned to open the door. Henrik also explained how the doors locked and lights, which Hiccup found incredible. **"So this is a small bathroom in the room for you; I figured it might be better for you to have your own instead of the group on that everyone in this hallway uses. At least until you get more used to things,"**

" **Bathroom use with the Vikings is like that. Small wooden shacks with a bench and a hole in it. Or sometimes just a bucket in the house,"** Hiccup confessed.

" **You don't have to worry about that here, son. Come, I'll show you…"** Henrik motioned as he moved into the room and turned on the light as Hiccup watched so he'd know for next time. **"Real easy. This thing here is a toilet, over there is a shower/tub, and then you have a sink. With the toilet; this is where you, what's the best way to put it…Relieve yourself. When you're done, just push this silver lever down, and the toilet does the rest. This roll of softer paper is like the napkin you used at breakfast; it's for wiping your rear when you're done doing that. The sink, all you do is turn these knobs to make the water come out. And the shower, the same idea. You can either fill the tub for a bath or pull this piece up, and the water will come out of this shower head and sort of…Rain down on you,"** Henrik explained.

" **I…Think I got it. Do I have to boil the water for it to be hot?"** Hiccup asked.

" **Heavens no, Hiccup. See these two colors on either side. Red is hot and blue is cold. All you gotta do is just position this handle between the two colors and feel the water, adjust if you want hotter or colder; just move the handle to which color you want more of,"** Henrik enlightened. **"Same with the sink handles. The left one is hot, and the right is cold,"** he added, showing Hiccup both sides. After Hiccup nodded, the two exited the room and stood in the middle.

" **I think I can handle it. How do I find you if I have any questions?"** Hiccup wondered.

" **Well, not sure if you're ready for electronics, but I'll show you the phone. It's something used to contact someone else. All you do is dial the number, and talk to the other person, but you can't see them. I know that sounds weird but, I'll show you real quick,"** Henrik smiled as he brought Hiccup over to the desk where there were a few things on it Hiccup didn't recognize. **"This thing is called a phone. Now, do you know your numbers 0 to 9? Can you write them down on this paper with the pen?"**

Hiccup took the pen, which Henrik explained before was like the ink pen Hiccup used, but this one didn't need to be dipped to work. Hiccup wrote them down, and then Henrik wrote the same number in his language next to the ones Hiccup did. **"Okay, so with the phone; all you do is pick this piece up and make sure these two circles are lined up with your ear and mouth, just like this,"** Henrik showed him. **"You'll hear a long sound, but that's okay. Dial these numbers in order from left to right,"** Henrik wrote down his number and showed Hiccup which buttons to press on the keys. **"You'll hear this sound; it's called ringing. And then,"** Henrik heard his phone go off and pulled it out. Henrik answered the call and put his phone to his ear and let Hiccup hold the one from the room. **"Then just talk like we are now. We'll give it a try, alright? I'll go stand in the hallway, and you try calling me,"** Henrik ended the call and set the phone down on the cradle.

" **Okay,"** Hiccup nodded. Henrik left the room as Hiccup looked at the phone now. _You can do this, Hiccup…Just press the number that Henrik wrote down as he did._ Hiccup thought. Hiccup picked up the phone and put it to his ear, hearing the tone. Hiccup pressed the 8 numbers in sequence like shown as he listened when it began making the ringing sound from before.

" ** _Hello?"_** came Henrik's voice, though, it sounded a bit different with the phone.

" **Hi. It's Hiccup,"** Hiccup replied. Henrik walked into the room smiling.

" **See, you got it. And when the call is done, and someone says bye, you just put the phone back in its spot. You're a fast learner, Hiccup; I think you'll do fine in the modern age,"** Henrik patted his shoulder a bit. **"Now, we're still working on getting you some clothes to wear, but I think it's a good time to lay down and get some rest. If you wake up and need anything; just call me like before, and I'll come back here to the room. I'll be by to get you for lunch anyway, that's in about…four to five hours,"**

" **Alright, Henrik,"** Hiccup smiled and yawned a bit.

" **Sleep well, kid,"** Henrik drew the shades of the room; then slowly backed out of the room and closed the door. Hiccup took off his boots at the foot of the bed, and laid down on the mattress, then pulled the covers up. It took a little bit as he felt like this would be a big adjustment, but he looked forward to it and knew full well that the first day was always the hardest. Soon, sleep took over, and Hiccup was knocked out.


	3. New Home

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

New Home

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Monday, 3/1/2010-2:00 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Kingdom of Denmark; Copenhagen Military Base]_

Hiccup and Toothless were the talk of the military base. Everyone wanted to see Toothless up close, learn about him and Hiccup. However, the Major General told everyone to stay clear of the dragon because they didn't know how he would react with Hiccup not near him. Hiccup was still on the second floor of the main housing building; this was the central space for enlisted soldiers to see the medics, eat their meals, and sleep if they were stationed here or approved to live on the base. There was another building for air force members clear across the base; this section was for the army. Lunch was now over, and Henrik decided to let Hiccup sleep a bit more as when Henrik checked on him around 1 pm; Hiccup was knocked out in the bed still. With the other soldiers gone out for more training, Henrik was sitting down with Major General Olsen to talk more.

"So has he said anything else about himself, we're going to need that kind of information to get him legalized here with proper identification and paperwork," Major General Olsen inquired.

"I regret to inform that we haven't spent much time talking about him, though; in the medic's office, I learned what his birthday is," Henrik revealed.

"Really?" Major General Olsen stated, intrigued. "And that would be?"

"February 29th, 1996. Hiccup doesn't know of month names or years, but he expressed that this birthday only comes once every four winters and that he just turned 14," Henrik stated.

"How much of the modernness have you shown him?" Major General Olsen inquired.

"Well, he didn't know a lot of the foods we ate, so I explained all that over breakfast. I spoke about furniture like beds nightstands, lamps, desks, and dressers. He knew what beds were, but not mattresses, and stated that all they had was wood, thin blanket, and something to act as a pillow; they weren't soft. Getting to the room; I showed Hiccup what everything was, how to work the toilet, shower, and sink. Oh, and I showed him how to use the phone, in case he needed anything and I wasn't there," Henrik said calmly.

"And how did he do on that?" the Major General wondered.

"Pretty well. I showed him once, then left the room, and let him try; he did good," Henrik nodded with a smile.

"Did he understand our numbers in our language?" the Major General wondered.

"No, but I had him write his numbers down, then I wrote next to his what ours were, and showed him on the dial pad. Then I gave him my number and showed him how to dial it and listen for the different sounds coming from the earpiece. He's a smart kid, Major General, and a fast learner. I only had to show him once," Henrik informed.

"This is a good thing, but we'll need more about him to make him a resident of Denmark. And also, we need to know more of these Vikings and Dragons," Major General Olsen reminded.

"Hiccup is more than willing to work with us," Henrik motioned.

"Is the boy still sleeping?" Major General Olsen questioned.

"I believe so," Henrik nodded. "I felt like he could use a little more rest as he was up from midnight and stated he didn't pause in his flight until the harsh landing,"

"Yes, I agree. I've already sent word to those who can approve Hiccup remaining here, but I don't believe it will be a problem as we know that the Vikings ruled these lands once before us. Hiccup descends directly from Vikings, so I believe with a little negotiating and some explanations; he will be permitted to remain, and suitable documentation and identification will be issued," Major General Olsen remarked. "Well, let's go get Hiccup and make sure he's settling okay. We will need to find another place for him to stay, though. This is a military base; he can't be here permanently,"

"I could talk to my wife and kids about Hiccup staying with us," Henrik offered.

"I don't know if your wife and children would feel comfortable with an outsider living among them," Major General Olsen confessed.

"You know that we're a foster family anyway. If Hiccup is given permission to stay here; they will put him in the system as he has no family to return to given what we learned earlier about the punishment for him befriending a dragon. Hiccup is more than welcome to stay with us, and he's not dangerous. Plus, we have a big yard for Toothless," Henrik shrugged.

"Well, let's speak with Hiccup first and wait for me to get a callback. And you need to run this by your wife," Major General Olsen responded. "Oh, and I visited the supply store to get Hiccup a hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, sneakers, and socks. I believe someone else ran out to get underwear, shirts, and pants, and a belt in case the pants are too big,"

"Understood," Henrik nodded again as the two stood up and moved to get to where Hiccup was staying. Henrik also made sure to grab a water bottle, bag of chips, and a sandwich for Hiccup, so he could have lunch while they talked together.

 **. . .**

 ** _[2:15 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Hiccup's Dorm]_

Henrik knocked on the door when they reached in. **"Hiccup? It's Henrik. Can I come in?"** he asked.

Inside, Hiccup looked at the door while he was sitting on the edge of the bed after making it; he'd only woken up about ten minutes ago and used the bathroom. Hiccup didn't take a shower, but he splashed his face and used the small cloth on the counter to wipe dry. It wasn't too hard to manage the modern bathroom; Hiccup thought he did pretty good for a first try on his own.

" **Yeah,"** Hiccup replied back. Henrik opened the door and walked in with Major General Olsen behind him.

" **How did you sleep?"** Henrik asked first.

" **Good. It's so comfortable, and nice to wake up without my back hurting,"** Hiccup smiled. Henrik laughed a little.

" **I brought you a little something for lunch, or you may know it as the midday meal. There's a bottle of water, some potato chip, and then a ham and cheese sandwich,"** Henrik explained each item.

" **I get water in a bottle, though it's not metal. And I think I get sandwiches, but not familiar with ham. What's a potato chip?"** Hiccup inquired.

" **It's thin slices of potato, which are fried in oil and then salted while drying out,"** Henrik smiled. Hiccup made a face of wonder and nodded. **"So, this man here is Major General Askel Olsen. You can call him Mr. Olsen or Askel; he's in charge of the Danish Army, a defense force that protects our people,"** he introduced.

" **Defense force? Like an island guard?"** Hiccup inquired.

" **Yes, yes. Very good, just like that. Only Askel is the leader of a force that protects more than one place,"** Henrik nodded. "He understands that an army is a defense force; he has an island guard back home," he told Askel.

"Excellent," Askel nodded his head approvingly. "Now, how much about himself can he tell us?" the man wondered.

" **Hiccup, how much can you tell us about you? Like…Name, age, height, weight. Do you know any of those things?"** Henrik questioned.

" **My full name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. I'm 14; I don't know…height and weight, but I've always been light and short because I'm a Hiccup,"** Hiccup reported to him.

" **What do you mean you are a Hiccup?"** Henrik asked.

" **To Vikings, a Hiccup is when something is the runt of a litter. Like with animals, the smallest born is the runt. I was born before I was supposed to, according to my dad. He said I almost didn't survive my birth, but I've always been smaller and shorter than the other Vikings who are big and tall,"** Hiccup explained. **"So when something is the runt, they are named a Hiccup. Also, Vikings believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls, Must work; I've never seen any,"** he shrugged afterward while taking a bite of the sandwich. It was really good too.

" **Does seem like the Vikings have some odd customs,"** Henrik chuckled a little while facing Askel. "He knows his full name and age; I figured out his birthday when we saw Sylvia, she'll have to measure and weigh him to get that information. Hiccup says he's always been light and short because he was born early,"he informed to Askel.

"Must have been a premature baby, do you think he knows how early?"Askel pondered.

" **Hiccup, do you know how early you were born?"** Henrik tried.

Hiccup thought about it for a few moments; then he got the notepad and pen from before while drawing a big circle and adding some lines; then writing information down in runes. After a few moments, Hiccup handed it to Henrik. **"I was born here, but it only comes every four winters. Dad says I was supposed to be born here,"** Hiccup pointed to the place. Henrik studied the paper.

"This is the Viking year? Two seasons, Summer and Winter?" Henrik stated as Hiccup nodded to him. **"So you were born in Goi? And meant to be born in Harpa?"** Again, Hiccup nodded. "Those months roughly translate to February and April in our calendar, so he was born two months early," Henrik looked at Askel.

"How different is his year from ours?" Askel asked while looking at what Hiccup had drawn, not that he understood much of the runes.

"Not too different, their year doesn't have four seasons; it has two. They still have all twelve months, but the dates at which each month lasts differ," Henrik explained.

"How so?" Askel wondered now.

"Twelve months like us. Their Winter starts on the 14th day of October and lasts until the 13th day of April. Summer for them is from the 14th of April to the 13th of October. They change months during the middle of ours and only go by two seasons. For you to understand what I'm seeing…" Henrik said as he got another piece of paper and copied everything Hiccup drew out, but in their own language for Askel to see.

"Ah, yes. So not all that different, and it should be easy to teach Hiccup about the year we use," Askel informed. "It appears he has auburn hair and green eyes, some freckles along his cheeks and nose. We'll have Sylvia measure and weigh him, and we know his exact birthdate thanks to your translations, Sergeant Anderson,"

" **What is…A Sergeant? And…Major General?"** Hiccup decided to ask.

" **Oh, those are rank names in the military. Like…You said your dad is Chief of your Tribe; he's in charge. Well, Askel is a Major General or Chief of the Danish Army. My rank is a Sergeant, so I'm under Askel,"** Henrik explained.

" **Okay, that makes sense. So it's a labeled title to show ranks in a chain of command?"** Hiccup looked at him.

" **Yes! That's exactly right, Hiccup!"** Henrik smiled wide. "He wanted to know about what our ranks were, and understands them as names for people in a chain of command,"

"Ah, bright boy," Askel nodded. "Now, what does he know of the dragons?"

" **Hiccup, what can you tell us about dragons? Where do they come from? How many are there? What kinds are there? You mentioned a war Vikings have with them?"** Henrik stated.

" **That's a long explanation, Henrik…And might be better told when I know your language better, so you don't have to try and explain everything to them as I say it to you,"** Hiccup admitted.

"Hiccup says he'll tell us anything we want to know, but might be better if he didn't need a translator to explain. Perhaps I can work with him a bit, Major General? Teach him our language; he understands what we say if we talk slowly. With a little work, as he's a fast learner; he can pick it up in no time," Henrik suggested.

"Let's…See how fast he learns. Try getting him to speak our language with a few easy sentences," Askel invited.

"Yes, sir," Henrik replied. **"Okay. Hiccup, Askel wants me to teach you how to speak our language. So I'm going to give you a couple of things to repeat, and I want you to answer in our language if you can manage,"** he informed.

" **Okay,"** Hiccup responded.

"Hello, I am Hiccup Haddock," Henrik said. Hiccup thought about it for a moment.

"H-Hel…lo. I-I a-am…H-Hic…c-cup H-Had…do-dock,"Hiccup said slowly; it came out in sections and with a different accent, but Henrik and Askel were able to understand it.

"Good, very good," Askel nodded.

"Now try; I am 14 years old, and from the Archipelago Island of Berk," Henrik smiled.

Hiccup took a breath, thinking on the words. "I-I am 14 ye-ye..ars o-old. A-and…fr…om th-the Archi…pel…ago Is-Isla…nd o-of B-Berk,"Hiccup recited. Again, not perfect, but he could be understood if talking slowly.

"My dragon's name is Toothless," Henrik pushed.

"M-My dra…gon's na-name is To-Toothl…ess," Hiccup responded.

"Not bad at all. You're a smart, lad, Hiccup," Askel smiled now.

"Go-Gobber used to t-tell me th…at," Hiccup managed on his own.

"Who is Gobber?" Henrik inquired.

Hiccup thought a moment. "Gob…ber is the Tr…ibe's Bl…acksm…ith. A-And my Dad's be…st fr-fri..end,"Hiccup said.

"So he was like an uncle to you?" Askel wondered and Hiccup nodded to him.

"Dad used to m-ma…ke me stay in the fo…rge to k-keep me out of tr-trou…ble and his w…ay," Hiccup answered, looking away a bit. "Gobb…er always m-made me lau…gh when the vil…lage was be…ing me-mean,"

"Your Tribe was mean to you even though you're supposed to be the next leader of them?" Henrik frowned.

"I ne…ver caused trouble. I like…to invent n-new th…ings in the for…ge. Some…times; it made a m-mess or ex…plo…ded. I al…ways cle…aned it up and fixed what…ever br-bro…ke. The Hoo…ligans, my Tribe name, never be…lieved…I could be a g-good Chief be…cause I'm not like the oth…er Vik…ings. Sm…aller, wea…ker. I-I'm t-to dif…fer…ent, so they don't like me and were wai…ting for me to do something bad eno…ugh to get rid of me. I never fit…in with them," Hiccup explained to the males before him. Henrik and Askel could see that Hiccup didn't seem to have good memories with this Tribe. "All the Tr…ibes think I don't be…long. That's why I said it was better…to leave with Toothless,"

"I'm sorry they treated you that way, son. You're a smart teenager who followed your heart, proving that there is more beyond your home. And you saw that dragons are just misunderstood, and Toothless is your best friend. We've always known about dragons; we don't see a lot of them around these parts. Also, when you crashed here; Toothless was first to protect you. I think you're more Viking than any of them because you dared to be the one who didn't do what any of them would. Vikings aren't supposed to fear anything, but they are afraid of the world beyond. You were braver to see the truth about dragons and courageous for leaving because you are different Hiccup. Don't believe anything they used to say about you," Henrik put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"And look at you now. You haven't even been here a full day, and you've tried new foods, learned how to use a modern bathroom, the phone…You adjust well to change, and that is a very admiral quality to possess, Hiccup," Askel added on. Hiccup smiled a little; it felt good to hear that.

"Th…ank you," Hiccup looked at them. "I never as…ked for them to like me. I just…wanted to b-be ace…pted," he confessed.

"Well, we accept you, Hiccup and you're going to do fine here. A lot of people don't fit in where they are; something to remember, though," Henrik started as Hiccup listened intently. "When there is no place you in the world; you make a place for yourself and fuck what everyone else thinks," he laughed as even Askel did the same.

"Well said, Anderson. And what it basically means Hiccup, is that the only opinion that matters is yours. Anyone can say anything, but you do what makes you happy," Askel informed.

"I will re…mem…ber those words," Hiccup nodded as he finished the rest of his food, and he'd entirely enjoyed the potato chips. "Now what?" he wondered.

"Well, since you seem to be catching on to how we talk; we should be able to make this process go a bit faster," Askel chuckled. "Oh, we do have some clothes for you to try on since we don't know your size," he brought over a dark blue bag with handles; it appeared to be cloth of some kind. "There's some jeans, shirts, sleep pants, underwear, socks, and a pair of sneakers,"

"Um…Jeans? Sleep…pa…nts? Sneak…ers?" Hiccup questioned.

"Jeans are pants, but made of another kind of fabric. Sneakers are shoes and sleep pants, softer and easier to wear in bed," Henrik stated. Hiccup made a face showing he understood with a nod as he was handed the clothing. "There's also a belt in there," he added.

"And we picked up a couple things to brush your hair, teeth, and put on deodorant. It's something that you rub on under your arms; keeps you from stinking when you sweat. It's like a soap bar, but made to keep under your arms dry and smell good," Askel enlightened.

"Okay…That's kind'a nice. Vikings usu…ally only take ba…ths once or tw…ice a w-w…eek," Hiccup admitted.

"Go on into the bathroom and try those things on so we can get an idea for your size, lad," Henrik motioned. Hiccup took the bag into the bathroom and laid everything out according to what it was when Henrik and Askel pulled it out and showed him what each item was. Hiccup changed out of his clothes and tried on one set. Of course, he got a little help up when it came to securing them around his waist.

"How are you doing in there, son?" Askel called.

"Pa…nts a bit loo…se," Hiccup replied. Henrik got up and knocked on the door as Hiccup opened it and Henrik found the problem; Hiccup didn't know how to use the button or zipper.

"Here, like this," Henrik smiled as he showed Hiccup how to pull up the zipper, and secure the button.

"That makes….m-mu…ch more se…nse…Fit better now," Hiccup told him.

"Shirts are a bit big on you; a medium or small might do better. Pants seem to fit okay without the belt and give you a little wiggle room. Socks okay, underwear seem snug too. Have you tried the shoes yet?" Henrik asked after inspecting over Hiccup wearing a pair of dark brown pants and a red shirt. Hiccup shook his head no as Henrik motioned for him to come out and sit down. Henrik got the shoes on Hiccup and tied the laces in place. "How's the feel?"

"Different, but good fit," Hiccup replied.

"You'll get used to them," Askel smiled. "Alright, so we'll mark that somewhere the sizes he wears to get him some more and build a wardrobe up," A phone rang as Askel got up and stepped out of the room. After five minutes; he returned. "Good news, Hiccup is approved to live here because he's technically from the Faroes, which are part of Denmark. The situation will be kept on the down low, and I'm currently being faxed the paperwork needed to be filled out to get him proper identification as a resident here,"

"I-I can…st…ay?" Hiccup asked.

"You can, son. Now, what about his living situation?" Henrik inquired.

"I brought that up in the conversation. He is still a minor, so he can't live on his own. However, you are a foster parent and can take him into your house, Anderson. Now, because he's from a place that doesn't live as we do…He'll need to learn everything he can in a year, and then they will test him on what he's learned. Basic math, reading, writing, speech. Average skills such as phone use, laundry, cooking, cleaning; you get it,"

"And this is my responsibility to teach him, right?" Henrik asked.

"Yes. They are issuing a temporary visa, and if he passes the test next year…He'll get permanent residence here," Askel stated.

"Consider it done," Henrik smiled. "I'll just give Mari a call and let her know. I've been texting her all day about the idea, and I think she's cool with it," he added. "So, Hiccup…Would you like to come home with me, meet my family, and live with us?"

Hiccup was a bit stunned, and felt a warm feeling in his heart at how kind everyone was to him; a complete stranger. "A-Am I allo…wed to? Will they…like me?"

Henrik checked his phone and smiled. "Wife says okay. And yes, Hiccup, you are. They'll love you!" Henrik chuckled. "So yes to coming with me and having a new home?" Hiccup didn't even speak; he nodded his head yes a few times. "Then let's go home, son," he added. Hiccup packed up his few things into the bag provided and exited with Henrik.

"I'll send Toothless in covered truck right behind you; just make sure to tell him not to attack us," Askel said. Getting outside, Hiccup hugged Toothless tightly.

" **Toothless, do as these people say okay? They're gonna bring you to me at the place we're staying,"** Hiccup informed. The dragon crooned and licked his cheek, but gave a clear nod to his friend. "All set," he gave a thumbs up to Askel. Hiccup moved with Henrik to a large metal something or other on wheels, and Henrik assured that he'd explain later on, but this was a way of getting around. Hiccup didn't question it; he climbed into the object and soon, he and Henrik were headed down a road with Toothless in a bigger, covered object behind them. Hiccup couldn't wait; he and Toothless were on their way to a new home.


	4. Never Going Back

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Never Going Back

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Monday, 3/1/2010-3 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Anderson Residence]_

I was nervous, and I couldn't even try to deny that fact. However, the more time I spent here; the more comfortable I was becoming with the world beyond the Barbaric Archipelago. I never imagined what was past the boundaries, and everyone back home would never believe me unless they saw it for themselves. And this is something I seriously doubted would ever happen. But hey, what did I know? Maybe the letter to my dad would get him to open his eyes a bit, highly unlikely, but one could hope. I wondered if he even cared I was gone, perhaps a little as I'm his Heir. Yet, that shouldn't matter because he has my cousin, Snotlout Jorgenson, who can take over as an Heir. Snotlout's father is my father's little brother, and when he married Freda Jorgenson; he took her last name instead of the Haddock one. Not sure why, but I guess it didn't matter. There were a few others who were my age or a little younger.

Astrid Hofferson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. Astrid Hofferson has blonde hair and blue eyes; she's a warrior through and through. Fishlegs is a larger male with short blonde hair and green eyes; he's very shy, but smart. Ruffnut and Tuffnut both have long blonde hair and blue eyes; both of them love to have fun and always causing trouble. Snotlout has short brown hair and blue eyes; he's very cocky and strives to impress and be the best. Also, there are other Heirs like me around the islands, most of us are all the same general age; maybe a year or three older or younger. The two I know well are Thuggory Meatsen, son of Mogadon Meatsen who is Chief of the Meathead Tribe. And then there is Camicazi Boggs, daughter of Bertha Boggs who is Chieftess of the Bog-Burglar Tribe. Mind you; the Bog-Burglars are an all-female tribe. The only men allowed are temporary stays for the purpose of making children. So yes, that means if a male child is born; it is sent off to be adopted by someone else, and the process begins again.

It's a harsh, cruel lifestyle we Vikings live. Every tribe is different with their own set of laws, but there are some that all Vikings follow no matter where they are from. An example of said general law we follow is that befriending a dragon is treason, and grounds to be cast out or killed. Safe to say; I broke the law by not only sparing a dragon, but befriending it, and now riding it. Gods, if I ever went back and the Vikings learned of what I did; I'd likely be killed instantly. I told my dad about refusing to kill a dragon, but never more than that. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to go back. I knew that Henrik was my teacher now; I had to learn a bunch of things about this modernized world beyond the Archipelago, and it looked like a had a full year to do it in. If I passed…I could stay forever, and never have to worry about going back to Berk, or the Archipelago ever again.

The ride from the Danish Army base seemed long, but Henrik told me about how houses were built, windows, about cars, trucks, etc. I didn't need a big explanation; just something to tell me what these strange and new objects were. The houses were built bigger and stronger, and these metal things with wheels were modes of transportation. It helped someone get around and ran on something called gas; it was something that could run on electricity and a lot of gears all working together. At least that's how Henrik explained it. Henrik also told me about radio stations, music, money, and that the Kingdom of Denmark was like one big island with a lot of towns or cities inside it. Also, other countries were connected or across the oceans. It was a little confusing, but I'm sure I'd get it over time. I knew one thing for sure, no matter how new or strange…I absolutely loved it.

"And here we are, Hiccup," Henrik stated as I looked out the window of the car and saw a house there, and not far off; I could see the water too. "We're about twenty-five minutes from the base in a town called Dragor," he stated while shutting the car off and opening the door. The truck carrying Toothless parked behind Henrik's car. "Can you have Toothless fly over the house and land in the backyard?" he wondered.

"Toothless up, over, land behind the house," I told him. Toothless warbled and did as he was told.

"Ready?" Henrik asked.

"As ready as I'm going to be," I nodded. Henrik and I had been working on pronouncing letters to improve my speech; I guess I was doing better than before at the military base. Henrik promised that it would get easier the longer I was around everyone else speaking the same way I was trying to learn. Henrik turned the handle on the door to the house and walked in.

"Kids! Mari; I'm home with our new tenant," Henrik called. Yeah, the nerves were setting in. I watched as a woman came in; she had light brown hair and brown/green eyes, more on the green side, though. In her arms was a baby, and then I saw three other kids hurry forward and stand with their mother; all of them looking at me. "Andersons…I'd like for you to meet Hiccup," he introduced.

The mother, Henrik's wife, smiled gently and approached me. "Hello, Hiccup. I'm Mari, Henrik's wife. And these are our children. Britta, the twins, Lilly and Lukas, and finally, our newest member, Hagen. Welcome to Denmark, sweetheart,"

"Thank you," I replied respectfully.

"Why's he talk like that?" asked the female twin, Lilly.

"Well, Hiccup isn't from around here, sweetie. Hiccup used to live on an island Northwest of here in Faroes, and around those parts; they speak a different language. Hiccup is still learning how to speak ours," Henrik explained to his daughter.

"Oh! Is he gonna be living with us?" inquired the male twin, Lukas.

"Yes, he is, so I expect you three to be on your best behaviors and make him feel welcome," Mari told the three children.

"Darling, did you prepare the guest room?" Henrik questioned.

"Yes, Love. I just finished putting the sheets and comforter on. Britta helped with the pillows while the twins got the nightstand lamps and some hangers for the closet," Mari informed.

"And we put a smaller desk in your office, cause Mom said you were going to be teaching Hiccup about our world," Britta stated.

"Thank you," Henrik smiled. "The kids go to day school; it's a place to learn,"

"Do you have a school where you're from?" Britta inquired.

"I…Have Dragon Training…Any of the Tribe members my age learn how to fight off and kill dragons. But my dad never believed I could do it, and I left before it started…I know I can't kill dragons; it's wrong to kill something because you don't understand it," I responded. "We pick up reading, writing, and speaking as we grow up from the age of two or three," I added.

"Daddy, why do we have a dragon in the backyard?" Lilly wondered.

"That is…Hiccup's dragon; he…befriended it a couple of weeks ago and then the two left Hiccup's home to see what else was beyond the islands," Henrik explained the best he could. "Hiccup's people, um…" he struggled.

"My people don't get along with dragons and believe they are just troublesome, destructive beasts who need to be killed. But…I don't believe that, so when I found my dragon wounded…I couldn't and wouldn't kill him. I let him go…And we became friends, trusting one another fully. What I did, though, is something my people consider to be against our laws and if anyone had found out; they would send me off the island as a traitor…or worse," I said.

"You mean kill you?" Mari blinked, a bit shocked.

"It's how my people live. Traitors get sent off or killed depending on how bad the act was. I refused to kill a dragon, let it go, befriended it, and have ridden on it. It's more than grounds to be killed for treason, which is one of the reasons I left," I admitted.

"Well, you're safe here, Hiccup. We don't live that way, and we're very curious to know more about the dragons too. Perhaps you can usher in something new for us as you also continue to settle into this modern life," Henrik smiled. I think we can help one another a lot. After all, it's better to understand than to act without knowing the truth, right?"

I nodded with a smile. It meant a lot to me that Henrik understood where I was coming from. Why hurt the dragons when we could become allies in a way, friends, develop bonds? I hoped I could show these people everything I knew, and they would teach me about them and their lifestyle.

"Can we meet your dragon?" Lukas inquired.

"Perhaps we can put that off, for now, kids. I'm sure Hiccup would like to get settled into his new room and maybe a tour of the house, so he knows where everything is?" Mari suggested.

"Okay!" Lilly and Lukas said together.

"We'll take him to his room for you, Dad," Britta offered.

"Thank you, kids," Henrik nodded for them to go ahead. "It's alright, Hiccup; they'll take you to the room you'll be staying in while you're with us," he added in. I nodded as I held my few bags; then followed Britta, Lilly, and Lukas to a set of stairs and went up them.

"Mom and Dad's room is on the main level, along with Hagen's nursery. The rest of the rooms are up here. My room is the first door on the right. Lukas is after mine. Lily stays in the room across from his on the left, and yours is this one, which is across from mine," Britta explained.

"The bathroom is at the end down there," Lukas pointed to the door at the end of the hallway. I would have to remember that. "Dad said you'd like this room the best because you can look right out your windows and see your dragon in the backyard," he added with a smile. Lilly turned the handle and opened the door to what would be my new room. I looked around and loved how it looked. Directly across from me were two big windows, and then the rest of the room furniture that Henrik told me about earlier this morning.

The set up was simple. A bed on the left wall with one nightstand next to it and under the window. There was a closet on the left also. On the right was a slightly-rounded desk that appeared to fit perfectly in the corner, but still able for someone to look outside. Finally, there was a long dresser along the right wall; it had six drawers in it.

"What do you think?" Lilly asked.

"It's…inc…redi…ble…" I said, still struggling with some of the words.

"Well, you can put all your clothes in the drawers; I think Mom said that more would be coming by dinner time," Britta informed. "Your toothbrush can go in the bathroom since that's where the sink is, and there's already toothpaste in there. Hairbrush and deodorant can stay in your room on the dresser top; it's your room, so you set it up however you feel comfortable," she smiled. "I know you were told our names downstairs, but we should formally introduce ourselves. I'm Britta Anderson, currently 8 years old. I was born February 12th, 2002. Everyone calls me Brit or Bri," she offered her hand, and I shook it.

"Lilly Anderson, 5 years old, and older than Lukas by 3 minutes," Lilly giggled as I shook her hand next. "Lil is a nickname I have,"

"Lukas Anderson, 5 years old. Most call me Lukas or Lu," Lukas introduced with a smile. "Lilly and I were born on July 6th, 2004. So we're almost 6,"

"And Hagen, who you met downstairs is 1 year old. He doesn't have a nickname yet," Britta enlightened. "He'll be 2 in October," she smiled.

"Hiccup Haddock, 14…Don't really have a nickname unless you consider _Useless_ and _Runt_ as nicknames. And I think your dad said my birthday was February 29th, 1996," I replied gently.

"Can we call you Hic for short?" Lilly wondered.

"Sure if you really want to," I nodded.

"Now, see? You have a nickname," Lukas laughed. "What kind of a name is Hiccup anyway?" he questioned.

"And why would you think useless or runt are nicknames…Those are insults," Britta frowned.

"I-I know, but that's what everyone called me because they think I'm useless and I am the runt of my Tribe," I tried to explain.

"I hope they aren't harassing you with all their questions," Henrik said as he came up the stairs holding Hagen; then Mari was beside him.

"Oh, no no….They're okay, Henrik," Hiccup replied.

"And Hiccup, remember what I said earlier at the base with Askel as a witness; you are not useless or a runt. I know it's what the Vikings say you are because you were born two months early, but you're far from what any of them believe you are. No one in your Tribe dared to befriend a dragon; they rather fight them than try to understand and create peace over war. And you dared to leave your home to see what else is out there. You may be shorter and skinnier than them, son, but you're smarter and braver. Sometimes one person can make a difference with the biggest impact. The only people who truly succeed in life are the ones who don't let anything hold them back and are willing to try new things. That is the only way to survive in this life," Henrik reminded.

"Henrik is right, dear," Mari nodded. "Now, how is everything? Do you need any help unpacking? Henrik texted me what your clothing size and shoes were, so I have more things coming for you in about 15 minutes,"

"It's…Perfect," I smiled while looking around. "It feels nice to have this,"

"A room?" Lukas blinked.

I shook my head. "Acceptance,"

"We don't judge based on looks or actions, sweetheart," Mari cupped my cheek. "You're a good person, and your heart is in the right place; that's good enough for people around these parts. Now, let's get you settled in," she added while moving into the room. After that Mari helped me put all my clothes away, and by the time we finished that; the person bringing more arrived, so we started adding those to the rest. Mari explained that nice clothes got hung up in the closet, and the rest could be in drawers. I had a couple pairs of shoes now, and some sandals, flipflops, and slippers.

When all this was done, Henrik showed me how to work the shower in the bathroom since it was different than at the base. There were no colors to go off of, so I had to use the left and right thing like with the sink, and stop at a temperature I was comfortable with. Henrik explained shampoo, which is soap for hair, body wash, which is liquid soap for the body, but I could use a bar of soap if I wanted, and finally, he told me about toothpaste. It was something that went on my toothbrush with a little water; then I could clean my teeth with it. I got my first shower this afternoon; it's different but amazing and much faster than a bath. I put on the deodorant, brushed my hair and teeth before coming out and Henrik's first words were that I was going to adjust and fit in just fine.

It felt good to hear that; then Henrik brought me downstairs to join him and his family for dinner. Henrik made sure to get some fish for Toothless too, and he ate that while I introduced Britta, Lukas, Lilly, Hagen, Mari, and Henrik to him. That was fun, and Toothless loved the attention. After dinner and dessert, which was a sweet treat after the meal; Henrik let his kids give me a tour of the home while explaining what everything was for me. It's only been one day, not even a full one yet, but I've learned so much about this place. Henrik said we'd start teaching me the things I needed to pass the test in a year. Also; he said it worked out because most kids finished schooling at 15 or 16 years old. Once I finished _schooling_ , I'd be able to either continue studying or just jump right into the workforce with a job, which would allow me to make money. This was going to be great, and I couldn't wait to get started.

"So Hiccup, do you like everything so far?" Mari asked.

"It's different, but that's okay because so am I," I smiled at her.

"That's a good outlook to have," Henrik chuckled a little. "Have you given any thought to what you want to do for a job next year?"

"Oh, no need to rush the boy, Henrik," Mari stated.

"It's okay, Maria; I think I know what I want to do," I mentioned. "I wanna do what Henrik does,"

"Me? You mean to be in the army?" Henrik blinked. I nodded. "I thought you wanted to get away from war. We may not have a war with dragons, but there are other places in the world who wage war for whatever reason they have,"

"I don't want war, but sometimes you have to fight to stop them and make others see that there's no point in fighting; there are injuries and death on both sides, so who really wins? Something my mentor, Gobber always told me; know what you're fighting for. So if I have to fight for something; then I want to fight for peace because I know it's possible if I can befriend a dragon when Vikings and Dragons have been at war with each other since Vikings first sailed to the Archipelago," I explained.

"You know something, Hiccup; you're absolutely right. And if anyone can start making that kind of a change in this world; it's going to be you. You wanna join the army; I'll support that all the way. The only downside is that you gotta be eighteen, but…I think I can work getting you started on a lower level in the Junior Army Reserves Training Camp; it's a program that allows you to learn and train for army life, get your ready to enlist and join when you're of age," Henrik smiled. "But first, we take care of the basics," he added.

"Aye, sir," I nodded.

"Alright, it's about 8:00 pm. Lilly, Lukas…Time for bed. Britta, you may stay up until 9 pm," Mari informed. "What time do you usually go to sleep, Hiccup?"

"Uh…12? Sometimes later if there was a raid," I shrugged.

"And what time do you get up in the morning?" Henrik asked.

"That also depends on if there's a raid or not…But most of us were up when it's still dark out, and the raids would stop around sunrise," I mentioned.

"If there are no raids?" Mari tried.

"The Vikings are known for staying up to drink mead and talk, feasting. But if there are no raids and you're a teenager, most of us are in bed by 11 or 12 night; then up at 4 or 5 morning as first light is seen," I stated.

Mari giggled a little. "Well, around here; we don't have raids. And 14-year-old boys go to sleep around 9:30-10 pm and wake up between 6 and 7 am,"

"I have no idea what either of those times are without a sundial or looking outside at the moon and sun…But if it's alright; I think I may go to sleep when the younger children do tonight. I'm actually pretty tired," I confessed.

"Go on, son," Henrik nodded. "Rest well," he added. I got up and waved goodbye to the others with a small smile before heading upstairs to use the bathroom, brush my teeth again, and then finally get to my bedroom. I changed into my sleep pants and kept on my short sleeve gray shirt before getting into bed and laying down. I stared at the ceiling in the dark room for a few moments, smiling, and entirely deciding that I loved this place and I was never going back to the Archipelago or Berk again.


	5. Permanent Citizen

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Permanent Citizen

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Friday, 2/25/2011-9 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Barbaric Archipelago; Isle of Berk]_

News of Hiccup's departure from Berk spread to all the Viking-inhabited islands quickly. Stoick ordered countless searches by boat and sent many letters to the other Chieftains asking if they had seen Hiccup at all. All of the replies were a disappointing no, and the searches weren't any better. Of course, the Vikings didn't search outside of the Archipelago either, and Hiccup stated in his letter to his father that he would be beyond the boundaries of the Archipelago because he felt that he had no place living among the Vikings because he didn't see himself as one, and on top of that statement; Hiccup said nobody wanted him around or to be the next Chief of Berk because the Hairy Hooligan Tribe and a few others didn't believe Hiccup had what it took to be a strong leader. Stoick realized hours too late that Hiccup would never be like the rest of them, and Stoick should have accepted that Hiccup was just like his late wife, Valka. But Hiccup was still his son and only Heir to the throne of Berk. Stoick needed to find Hiccup and bring him home so that he could undo the damage that had been done with his neglectful parenting.

Stoick always ignored when Hiccup talked, and pushed his son onto his friend, Gobber, in the forge to keep Hiccup out of trouble. Stoick knew that all this time; he should have been having Hiccup at his side; teaching him what it meant to be a leader, a Chief. Stoick realized that he always acted like Hiccup's Chief, not his father. And all the teasing and pushing around that Hiccup endured from everyone; Stoick should have put an end to that instead of telling Hiccup that it would be fine and they were just trying to toughen him up. No, they were putting Hiccup down and making him think less of himself. Enough so that Hiccup decided to leave Berk, and the Archipelago altogether. It had been a year now, and the Chieftains gathered as they always did to discuss the dragon raids and another possible search for the Dragons Nest. This was a location that Vikings never seemed to find, and they believed that if they attacked the dragons on their turf; then it would make them stop raiding. No such place was ever found despite the endless searches.

"Stoick! It's time to face facts," remarked Mogadon Meatsen of the Meathead Tribe. "Hiccup is gone,"

"I refuse to believe that," Stoick huffed.

"Believe it or not, my old friend; there is nothing to show for our efforts in locating him," Bertha Boggs of the Bog-Burglar Tribe informed.

"Hiccup's letter stated that he was leaving the Archipelago," came a calmer voice, Viggo Grimborn of the Dragon Hunter Tribe. "You know that we do not sail beyond those borders,"

"And the traders who do travel those waters have not seen or heard anything either," Eret Trapp the First of the Dragon Trapper Tribe enlightened.

"My son is out there," Stoick said.

"And perhaps he is, but we cannot keep sending out search parties and leaving our islands without the extra manpower to help in raids," Madguts Axall from the Murderous Tribe scoffed.

"The boy could be dead too," UG of the Uglithugs shrugged.

"Hiccup isn't dead!" Stoick stood angrily.

"But he's nowhere to be found either, Stoick!" Oswald Bazirk of the Berserkers yelled over him. "Believe me, as a father; I understand why you refuse to believe it. If it were my son or daughter, I would never stop give up the hope that they were alive either. I'm not telling you to accept that Hiccup is dead, but all of us are trying to tell you it's a possibility!" Oswald stated harshly.

Stoick closed his eyes and sighed. "Stoick," Cuyler Grayson of the Peaceables Tribe began now. "None of us want to think such a thing, but we cannot deny the chance it is true. Hiccup was born early, and he almost did not survive his birth, my friend. Hiccup had little to no life experience outside of Berk. You sheltered him in the forge with your blacksmith to keep him safe because you know he's small, weaker, and an easy target in battles or raids. Now we all hold the hope that young Hiccup is alive, and we pray to the Gods that he may return to us one day. But the fact stands we've spent this year searching, and we have nothing to show for it. No leads, no clues…Nothing,"

"We will continue to ask the traders, and watch on our travels, but we cannot keep sending search parties out. Our raids this year have been bad; we need all the people we can get on our islands to defend them," Erland Vinter of the Shivering Tribe reminded.

"You have to accept that Hiccup may have died out there, if he's alive; he doesn't wish to return. In either case, Stoick; you need to consider Berk's future. You have lived for 46 winters, and you know it is required of a Tribe leader to provide an Heir to take over in the event of your death or you retire. You have your nephew, Snotlout who is an Heir by birthright," Magnus Eldur of the Visithug Tribe.

"Never," Stoick refused.

"I agree, that boy may not make the best Chief for the Tribe," Bertha nodded.

"Then you have a second course of action, Stoick," Magnilda Ramirson, Chieftess of the Bashem Oiks chimed in. Stoick looked at her, almost dreading the thought. "You have to have another child," she added.

"My heart belongs to Valka," Stoick said firmly.

"Nobody said you had to remarry, Stoick," Norbert Heift of the Hysterics Tribe sighed. "But if you refuse to name Snotlout as your Heir and train him to take over as the next Chief of Berk; than you need to find a suitable woman to bear you another child,"

"It would be an arrangement as we Bog-Burglars do, Stoick. Find a woman to give you a child; she will be present until the child is weaned from nursing and then it will likely fall on you to care for him or her," Bertha suggested. "It's nothing new. Freda Jorgenson nursed Hiccup after Valka's disappearance; this would be the same general idea,"

"Pick one of the two choices, Stoick. If not; you know that the Viking Council will vote for a new Chief of Berk, and it will likely go to Spitelout and Snotlout will be the Heir as his father is your brother," Madguts remarked. "I'd go with having a new kid. And if Hiccup ever comes back; you know he obtains his birthright back."

"As I have no other choice…" Stoick sighed heavily. "I'll deal with my Heir situation…" he gave in. "But I know Hiccup is alive, and one day…I will see him again," the man left the room. Gobber was waiting for him.

"How'd it go?" Gobber asked.

"I have to name Snotlout my Heir or have another child. Otherwise; they'll vote for a new Chief of Berk…And we both know that goes to the Jorgenson's since Spitelout is my brother," Stoick leaned against the door.

"And what of Hiccup?" Gobber wondered.

"They're pulling out of the searches. The Chieftains will watch on their travels and check in when the traders come in, but they won't send anyone else out to look for Hiccup," Stoick closed his eyes.

"What are we doing?" Gobber questioned now.

"Hiccup is gone, Gobber. I'm not saying he's dead, but maybe he is. Either way…Hiccup is not here, and there is no telling if he'll return at all…" Stoick admitted.

"I'm sure the lad is okay; he's smarter than anyone gave him credit for. Sure a few things messed up, but that's how you learn and improve. Truthfully, his ideas weren't bad," Gobber shrugged. "What are we doing about your Heir situation?"

"I won't name Snotllout, my Heir, and I won't give up my position as Chief; it's been in my family for years," Stoick looked up. "I'm sorry, Val…" he said.

"You're going with having another child, aren't you?" Gobber stared. Stoick nodded. "Alrighty. I'll send the word out," Stoick just walked to his house and sat down in the chair near the fire.

"Oh, son…I'm so sorry. I did this…I wasn't a father when you needed me to be, and now you're gone. Come back…Come home…" Stoick prayed quietly.

 **. . .**

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Monday, 2/28/2011-9 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark]_

It was a hard year for me, but something I would never forget. Starting at 9 am on March 2nd, 2010; Henrik and I sat down in his office to get right to work on teaching me everything I needed to know to pass this citizenship test today, February 28, 2011. Henrik and I started with the basics; days of the week, and months of the year. I learned, at the time, that we were in the year 2010, and it was February, which meant that it was the second month of the new year. Honestly; it wasn't all that different from what I already knew. A labeled year number was really the only _new_ thing. Henrik had to teach me about when Earth; the planet we lived on, was created and then everything from there such as dinosaurs, the time periods of BC, AD. Henrik told me about Milleniums, Centuries, Decades, Years, Months, Days, Hours, Minutes, and Seconds.

I learned how to tell what time it was on a digital clock and a regular one. I know how to read a 12-month calendar. I found out that people all over the world believe in different Gods and Goddesses; this is called Religions. I still believe in the Norse ones, but that's to be expected given how I grew up, and everyone was entitled to believe what they did. I learned how to swim, not that I couldn't before, but the water in the Archipelago is freezing and very rare that we could swim in it. I was taught Math, Science, History, Language Arts, and Reading. Henrik showed me how to do household things with modern day tools like using a mop, broom, dustpan, sponge. I got to see how glass was made, and that many things are constructed from it. I even got to see how a house was made! Henrik introduced me to stores, which were just huge marketplaces.

Henrik even taught me how to fix cars, and drive them. I learned more about using landline and cell phones. Henrik got me a mobile phone; it was a flip phone for me to text and place calls. Originally; Henrik got it for me for when I was learning how to use public transportation and walking around the town. Henrik said if I got lost or something; I could call him or Mari to tell me where to go. After those lessons, the phone was mine to keep. I was taught how to use a desktop, laptop, and tablet. I got to see all kinds of animals at the zoo and aquarium. I learned that a lot of people have cats and dogs as pets, some even have birds, hamsters, snakes, and spiders. I've been to theme parks, water parks, regular parks, a playground or two. I've been to celebrations, parties, fairs, and so much more. The different kinds of foods around the world were definitely one of my favorite things. I've made friends too; I think that was one of the best feelings in all this.

I met a lot of great people in this past year, and I can confidently say that we're excellent friends. There's Katja Oliversen, Brynjar Holt, Dane Jakobsen, Eira Solveig, Olivia Holgerson, Frieda Knight, and Frode Knight. Katja, Frieda, Eira, and Olivia are about my age. Dane, Brynjar, and Frode are older than me, but around the same age for each other. Frieda and Frode are siblings; three years apart. Frode is also in the Danish Air Force, another branch of the Danish Military. Frode and I aren't super close, but we get along well. Brynjar and Katja are half-siblings, meaning one of their parents are the same person; I believe Brynjar told me that he and Katja are related by having the same father, but neither of them knows who their father is. Dane is Brynjar's best friend. Eira is best friends with Katja and Frieda. Finally, Olivia Holgerson, who I met at a fair.

Olivia and I just bumped into one another and started talking; then she asked if I wanted to dance while the music was playing. I admitted that I didn't know how, and she taught me. It was really nice, and we exchanged phone numbers before saying goodbye when the fair was closing for the night. We talk a little bit every day still; she makes me smile a lot, but we're only friends. Henrik teases me all the time about having a crush on Olivia, but I tell him I don't. Maybe I do, but I still got a lot going on before I jump into anything like that. One of the things Henrik taught me was love and sex in the modern age. It's very different from what is learned as a Viking, so that was a big change and interesting to learn.

So as I was saying to my friends. Katja is turning 15 in June on the 4th. Brynjar's 18th birthday would be April 30th. Olivia has just turned 14 this past November on the 5th. Frode is 18, but I think turning 19 on August 2nd. Likewise, his younger sister, Frieda, is turning 16 on July 2nd. Eira will be 16 October 30th. And lastly, Dane; he'll be turning 17 on May 28th. Also, Dane has a major crush on Katja, but as I understand it; Brynjar told Dane that Katja isn't dating anyone until she's 17 at least. Dane seems to respect it, but I see a lot of flirting going on when Brynjar isn't around. Also, Brynjar will be in the Danish Army; he's joining at 18.

Katja, Eira, and Frieda will all be graduating from what is considered 9th grade in June, and they'll be done with their schooling. Olivia still has one more year to go. And me…I hopefully graduate today with not just a certificate that says I passed my schooling, but also that I'll become a permanent citizen to the Kingdom of Denmark. It was amazing; I couldn't believe everything I've seen and learned in the past year. And bonus news; tomorrow I'll be 15 years old! Well, it's not my actual birthday, but I still count as a year older because February is over, and my birthday is in February. Right now, I'm with Henrik at the testing location; I'm waiting to be called on to take my exam. I wasn't sure what would be on it, or how long it would take, but I would do it and pray to the Gods. If I didn't pass this; I'd have to leave Denmark, and honestly; I didn't know where I'd go if that happened.

Someone walked out of the room with a clipboard. "If your last name starts with the letter G, H, or I; come forward," a man called. My last name is Haddock, so I guess that meant me and anyone else who had the last name with one of the three letters.

"Good luck, kid!" Henrik smiled broadly. I nodded and headed forward to the person.

"Name?" the man asked.

"Hi-Hiccup Haddock," I replied. The man glanced over his sheet, then made a check mark. "In you go," he nodded as I disappeared behind the door while taking a deep breath. This was it; I was ready. I moved into a room and was placed at a table; then had to wait for anybody else to file in for this group of people testing. The door closed at 9:15 am. First, we were handed pencils, calculators, and a few extra pieces of paper to show work if needed. Next was a test packet and scantron sheet; Henrik told me these were put in a machine to tell someone how many were right. We were also told there would be a verbal portion when finished with our packets; it was for them to see how well we spoke their language.

"Begin!" the examiner called. "You have until 11 am," the woman informed. I started right away with the basics of filling out my name, age, birthdate, and address, which was Henrik's place for now. Five minutes later; I moved into doing the questions in the packet.

 **. . .**

 ** _[2:30 pm]_**

I finished the written portion of the exam by 10:30 am, then did the verbal one. I still had a small accent, but I was understood perfectly. There was much more to this day than I thought; a written and verbal test were only the beginning. Next was cooking, laundry, computer skills, and more. As the time went on to 2:00 pm hit; everyone was handed a piece of paper face down. We were told that it was our results from the test and would say either PASS-CITIZENSHIP GRANTED or FAIL-CITIZENSHIP DENIED. If someone failed; they would have to leave Denmark within a certain amount of time, and I think could try again in another year. If someone passed; they would move to another line to get a Permanent Residence Visa, which was a card that said I could live here legally, and it acted as an Identification card too. I was too nervous to look, so as we were released from the room I spotted Henrik and moved towards him.

"Well! How did you do?" Henrik asked quickly.

"I-I don't know. I haven't looked yet…" I admitted.

"Come on; we'll do it together," Henrik offered. I nodded as he put his hand on the paper; then we flipped it over. There, in a big green stamp were the words; PASS-CITIZENSHIP GRANTED. "Hiccup! You did it! You passed! You're an official citizen of Denmark and live here permanently! I'm so proud of you, son!" Henrik exclaimed as he hugged me tightly. I couldn't believe it; I'd done it! I passed the test and could stay forever! I wanted to cry, and I might just start. "Let's get you in line for that Green Card," he said. I wouldn't cry yet; I knew I had to get my picture taken for this thing.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[4:30 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Anderson Home]_

It took another couple of hours to deal with lines, filling out documents, taking pictures, paying, and getting the Green Card, but finally; it was done around 4:00 pm. Things took a little longer in Hiccup's case because he also had to get a Dragon ID for Toothless, and that took a bit because Hiccup had to fill out a lot of stuff on Toothless to allow for him to be recognized as a type of pet. But this meant Hiccup could keep Toothless with him, and the two of them could even fly now. Toothless's ID card doubled as a type of flier license for Hiccup; it meant they wouldn't be in trouble for flying around Denmark as long as he obeyed certain height limits. Hiccup had a feeling that bonding and owning dragons could become a big attraction, but that was still in the works as it needed to go through the Queen of Denmark to be approved.

And even then; Hiccup would be the only one who could start such a trend because he's the only one with a dragon and the information on them. So, that very well might become Hiccup's volunteered job to handle until more people were trained and comfortable in the position. Finally leaving the office, Henrik and Hiccup loaded into the car and headed right for Henrik's house. Now pulling in the driveway at 4:30 pm; Hiccup noticed that everyone was over of his friends. It was to be expected; everyone wanted to know if he passed or not. Getting into the home; they rushed him.

"WELL!?" the group demanded. Hiccup finally put on a big grin as he pulled out the card and everyone cheered.

"Oh, congratulations dear!" Mari exclaimed, scooping Hiccup up into a big hug.

"And Toothless is legal too; they made a card for him," Hiccup showed them that next.

"We must celebrate!" Britta, now 9 years old, announced as she hugged Hiccup tightly. "Proud of you, big brother," she smiled. That one warmed Hiccup's heart.

"And now you can stay with us forever!" Lilly and Lukas, both now 6 years old-but 7 in July, said together. Hiccup loved this; he had friends…and a family. Maybe not related by blood, but he loved the Anderson Family. "So can we party now?"

"That's up to the man of the hour," Henrik looked at Hiccup.

"Party on!" Hiccup smiled wide. And that was all it took to get things started.


	6. How The Time Flies

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

How The Time Flies

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Tuesday, 12/25/2012-8:00 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Anderson Residence]_

Hiccup loved living in Denmark, and he still remained with the Anderson Family in the town of Dragor. Hiccup adored waking up and was able to look outside to see Toothless. Among other things; Hiccup went flying with Toothless over the water every single day without fail, and the two would fly at night too. Hiccup always rode Toothless bareback and had mastered flying without needing to hold on to anything; Hiccup even knew how to do some air tricks, and stand on Toothless's back while flying and keeping his balance. Hiccup couldn't believe that he'd been living here for almost three years now; it would be when March 1st, 2013 hit. A lot of things had changed since he'd arrived. For starters; Hiccup had a full-time job doing something he was extraordinarily good at. Training dragons. Yes, Hiccup had brought dragons to Denmark, and he was the lead trainer of the program. However, it didn't just stop at training dragons. No, Hiccup was in charge of wrangling, training, bonding, care, and flying lessons.

Hiccup would bring dragons in with Toothless and get them calm and situated at his training camp in the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen. Hiccup had stables, food sources, classrooms, and obstacle course. There was a medical center and nursery too; all funded by the Kingdom of Denmark. Hiccup trained the dragons to be around humans, and Hiccup showed humans how to handle dragons safely. Hiccup oversaw everything that happened, stepping in if necessary. Hiccup taught the humans everything he knew about dragons; Classifications, Species, Habitats, Food, Mating, Personalities, Behavior on certain types of conditions. And the best part; these dragons were mainly coming from the Archipelago. So inadvertently; Hiccup was lessening the number of dragon raids the Vikings got. Hiccup had Classification Trainers, and it was their job to teach students who were 16 and older about the 7 classes of dragons, and each dragon in said class.

All of this started by June 2011, just after Hiccup received his citizenship. It took a year to build and prepare everything. Hiccup was behind the entire design while training people to be trainers. Hiccup showed them how to earn a dragon's trust, feed, and care for each kind. When the trainers felt confident to start taking on students; it went viral within a week. Hiccup made it a rule that no one could attempt bonding until they knew all 7 classifications and could show him with each kind how to approach, calm, feed, and care for. Of course, Toothless was the only Night Fury, but not the only Strike Class dragon. There was two Skrills, Threadtails, and Triple Strykes. A male and a female each. There was one Snow Wraith, and working on getting another, but needed it to be a female. Finding a Wooly Howl had proven difficult and still no luck in such an endeavor. The first person to bond to a dragon was Henrik.

Henrik bonded to a female Monstrous Nightmare that he named Firewing. A new process was that when someone bonded to a dragon; they would get a Dragon Ownership ID, showing a picture of the owner and dragon, plus vital identifying information. After Henrik learned to fly; it was decided to create a Dragon Affairs office to allow for Dragon Ownership Licenses to be made. And Hiccup was the only person who could sign off on someone getting one. Nobody got it if the four core aspects of being a full dragon owner weren't met; Classification Knowledge, Bonding, Training, and Flying. This meant every single student needed to pass Classifications, Bond with a dragon; then be able to train, control, and fly it without any help. And if anyone broke the Dragon Laws; they would have their Ownership License suspended for a short period or revoked; just like a how a Drivers License worked.

Hiccup ran the program well and had people helping him keep it organized and running smoothly. Stables were becoming a normal thing at businesses; a place for people to land their dragons and keep them until they left whatever spot they were at. Also, everyone rode with a saddle made for their dragon. Hiccup was the only person who didn't use one because had no need. Hiccup did have a Drivers License, but never drove; it was for the sake of having one if he ever needed to use a vehicle. Hiccup flew everywhere with Toothless, and just about everyone knew him as the one who brought dragons into their lives and actually made life better because of it. Hiccup worked Monday through Friday 8 am to 12 pm; then there was a short break before the second half of the day, which was done at night from 4 pm to 8 pm. And yes, Hiccup worked both shifts, for now, until February 2014 when he turned 18.

Exactly as he'd planned; Hiccup was the Danish Army in a few months. Hiccup was entrusting the leadership of running the school in his absences for training, or possible deployments with Henrik, who would be retiring from the army in January 2014. Hiccup would always be the head trainer because he started everything involving dragons, but he still wanted to join the military. Henrik would take over the role to do everything, and if he hit trouble, Hiccup would be there to help. The school was called; _Denmark's Dragon Training Academy_. The logo of the establishment was a shield with a black symbol for a Night Fury in the middle; this represented Hiccup's Viking heritage and that he was the first Viking to bond with a dragon, a Night Fury, which was the most feared among his people. The logo was something special to Hiccup, and he was proud to say that he and Toothless being best friends started this whole movement of peace between dragons and humans in Denmark.

Hiccup was still good friends with Katja, Brynjar, Eira, Olivia, Frieda, and Frode. Dane, not so much, not since he started dating Katja at least. This happened when Katja turned 16 on June 4th, 2012, Brynjar finally allowed it, so Dane asked Katja out, and she said yes. Dane's been quiet, distant, and sometimes, an overall jerk. Hiccup didn't like it; Dane's eyes always looked like they wanted something from Katja, and Hiccup knew exactly what that _something_ was. Hiccup didn't trust Dane, but he knew Katja liked him a lot, so he was a good friend who supported the relationship and would observe quietly. Eira and Frieda were both off in the next level of their schooling. Frode and Brynjar were both busy with their military jobs. Olivia, though; she was now done with school as of June 2012. Hiccup and Olivia were getting closer than just friends as it was in late 2010 when they met. Hiccup wouldn't deny liking her but wasn't sure about the whole dating thing.

Henrik explained it a little bit; Hiccup understood it as he'd be Olivia's boyfriend and they would hug, go on dates, kiss, and hold hands. Henrik asked if Hiccup had things like that with Vikings, and Hiccup told him straight up that if a girl and guy started liking one another and were sharing couple-related actions; parents would arrange for them to get married, which would take place a couple of months later, and then jump right into having kids. Needless to say, Henrik told Hiccup to forget all about that because that was not how fast relationships worked in this age. Henrik then explained that couples would date for a year or two at least before getting engaged and married. Hiccup actually liked the modern method better and gave him less to worry about if he and Olivia got together.

For everything else; it had been average. Hiccup woke up at 6:30 am; then took a flight with Toothless, ate breakfast, worked his day, came home, showered, went over some papers, talked with Henrik, Mari, Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and sometimes Hagen, grab another flight with his dragon, but then he'd head off to bed around 10:30-11 pm. Life was good, and Hiccup never wanted anything else than what he had now. Of course, there were times that Hiccup wondered how his old Tribe was doing; then he'd quickly shake it from his mind and remember that it doesn't matter because they'd never accept him as he was. Also, Hiccup grew and gained weight in the last two years. About where he should be for almost 17 according to average height and weight charts from doctors. Right now, it was Christmas morning and as Hiccup understood it; this was the Denmark version of his Viking Snoggletog. Hiccup did pick up gifts for the Andersons, how could he not when they'd done so much for him. Hiccup even got one gift each for his friends for the next time he saw them.

"Happy Christmas, Hiccup!" Britta, Lilly, and Lukas greeted Hiccup when he came downstairs to see all the Andersons already present near the tree.

"Same to you," Hiccup replied. This wasn't his first Christmas with them, of course. No, Hiccup celebrated the 2010, and 2011 ones with the Andersons too.

"How did you sleep, dear?" Mari inquired as she had Hagen, now 3, on her lap.

"Honestly…Not that great," Hiccup admitted.

"Awe, why not?" Lilly wondered.

"Developed a headache around midnight, tried aspirin at 1:30 am, fell asleep until 4:45, and have been awake since…" Hiccup yawned as he sat down on the couch next to Britta.

"Anything else bothering you?" Henrik asked.

"Throat is a bit sore," Hiccup stated.

"Could be the start of a cold," Mari informed as she handed Hagen to Henrik; then she moved into the master bedroom's bathroom and handed Hiccup two pills with a cup of water. "Here, Hiccup; it's Dayquil, good for helping with all the symptoms of a cold," she smiled lightly. Hiccup took both pills and sat back to relax.

"Might be a good idea just to go back upstairs and rest, son," Henrik offered.

"I'm alright, Henrik. I can handle some time down here with all of you and sleep the rest of the day if I'm able to get comfortable," Hiccup replied. Not long after, they began passing out presents and opening them.

 **. . .**

 ** _[8:45 am]_**

Hiccup got a lot of art stuff because the Andersons knew that he loved to draw; his room was riddled with doodles, sketches, and full drawings. Everyone got things that they wanted, and now they were relaxing until Mari got Henrik's attention.

"Love, don't we have one more thing to give, Hiccup?" Mari mentioned as Hiccup arched a brow in curiosity.

"Hm? OH! Oh, yes!" Henrik exclaimed as he quickly got up and hurried into the master bedroom.

"I'm confused," Hiccup admitted.

"Don't worry; it's just another little gift from all of us," Britta giggled with Lilly and Lukas. Henrik returned with two things in his hands. First, Hiccup was handed a small, square, wrapped gift. Hiccup sat up and opened it up to see that it was a smartphone; to be specific, the iPhone 5. It was the newest model released in September 2012.

"We figured you're ready to upgrade from the flip phone," Mari smiled softly.

"Wow…Thanks, guys…" Hiccup admired it once out of the box.

"Yep, we got you the black one with a gray case and the Strike Class symbol on the back, like your logo for the academy. Oh, and Dad stole your flip phone to add your contacts in when you were taking a nap on Sunday,"

"It's amazing…And I love the lock screen picture of us all. Even Toothless in the back," Hiccup smiled. "That's…From the day I got citizenship, wasn't it?" he wondered.

"You got it," Henrik informed. "We do have one more thing, but it's only if you want it. It's kind of a decision for you to make," he handed Hiccup a folder as the teenager opened it up and pulled out a small stack of papers. Hiccup began reading over them and understood that they were adoption papers, for him. It said that Mari and Henrik Anderson wanted to petition to adopt Hiccup as their son. Hiccup's eyes widened as he looked at the Anderson Family before him.

"Y-You want to adopt me?" Hiccup asked, a bit shocked.

"We know you have another family on Berk, and we don't want to take their place because they were there first. I guess we're wondering if you'd like to have a family here too? Denmark law says we can adopt you with your permission. We know you're almost 17 now. You don't have to, but we think you fit right in with us, Hiccup. Our kids see you as their brothers, Henrik and I adore you as a son," Mari explained.

"What do you say, Hiccup? Want to be a Haddock-Anderson? We figured you wouldn't want to change your last name since it's your birthright. But we can hyphenate it with ours if you want. We're not gonna kick you out if you-," Henrik started.

"This is…I don't even have any other words for it," Hiccup stated. "I-I didn't think I meant that much to you guys, to want to adopt me as part of your family. You've been so kind and welcoming since I came here almost three years ago. I just wish I could do something for all of you,"

"Well, if you wanna do something for us; I know what you can do," Lukas smiled.

"Anything," Hiccup replied.

"Say yes to joining our family," Lilly said. Hiccup blinked a few times.

"Besides, you're gonna need a family to come home to that is waiting for you when you join the army and go away for training. Might as well be the people you've been with since the beginning," Britta shrugged but smiled. Alright, Hiccup couldn't even try to argue that one.

"Where do I sign?" Hiccup asked with a broad smile. Instantly, Britta, Lukas, and Lilly charged forward to hug Hiccup tightly, and he returned it. Hagen got out of Mari's arms and walked over to Hiccup slowly, wanting to be held. Mari was up afterward to kiss Hiccup's forehead and hug him, then Henrik was last with a tight hug. Hiccup couldn't believe this; he was going to be adopted by the Anderson Family.

 **. . .**

 ** _[Thursday, 1/11/2013-7:30 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

It took some time for word to get out and find a suitable woman, but it happened. Of course, once everything was agreed upon and whatnot; the trouble became Stoick getting her pregnant. This took a few tries, just like Stoick had in getting Valka pregnant until finally; they had Hiccup. Stoick chose a female who was still young and in her early thirties; her name was Diana Solberg, and she was a female who had lost her husband some years back. Diana's husband and several other men were lost at sea in a bad storm. Only three returned from that trip; the rest were taken under the waves or drifted away and never found despite the searches. At the time, Diana was just a mere 20 years old with a daughter who sadly did not make it past her 3rd birthday due to illness.

Diana and Stoick's agreement was that she would give him a child, but after the child was weaned; she wanted to leave and return home. Diana, after the loss of her daughter, had said she didn't want any more kids. Stoick understood and told her that he didn't either, but because he's the Chief and Hiccup is gone; he has no choice to give another. As soon as things were settled; they started trying. It took some tries but, it happened, and now, Diana was in labor. Diana made it to 9 months, which Stoick was happy about. Also, Diana was having twins, entirely unexpected. Gothi confirmed such when Diana was checked at four months along, so that was shocking to everyone. Stoick would have not one, but two Heir's now, and Hiccup still, but he wasn't around and no telling if he'd ever return.

It was thirty minutes to the next hour of the night as Stoick was beside Diana, but up towards her head and waiting for things to move along. This had been going on since lunchtime, so Diana would give birth any moment now. Gothi was present with a few other female helpers, and Diana was in a lot of pain. After another check from one of the females; she smiled.

"It's time, Diana," the woman stated. Stoick stayed quiet and just waited, what else could he do? The time continued to move slowly for the Berk Chief, but soon; a loud cry filled the room. "Stoick, you have a girl," she informed as Stoick's head shot up. The baby was handed off to be cleaned and wrapped as the woman between Diana's legs returned to her position. Ten minutes later, another cry was heard. "And a boy!" Stoick was over the moon. A boy and a girl, the Gods were with him.

 **. . .**

 ** _[8 pm]_**

Diana was sitting up in bed while feeding both babies after they had been cleaned up and wrapped. Gothi informed that both were healthy after Gobber was allowed in to translate for her.

"Well, Stoick. Now you have two, what will ya be calling them?" Gobber asked.

"The girl shall be known as Valda, and the boy, Halvor," Stoick responded calmly.

"The birth of two new Heirs and you don't seem happy," Gobber pointed out.

Stoick closed his eyes, sighing. "Having two new Heirs doesn't erase the one I lost, Gobber…Hiccup would be turning 17 next month; I was going to start his Chieftain training…Let him take over at 18 or 19. Even if he never comes back; I just want to know if he's alive or dead…Set me at some ease," Stoick enlightened.

"Have ya tried asking Gothi to see if she can find out?" Gobber wondered.

"Aye; I have. Gothi says she doesn't know," Stoick informed.

"I'm sure he's alright, Stoick. I know he was different than the rest of us, but he's smart, and he learned how to survive despite being smaller and weaker than most Vikings. He's your son, after all. If there was ever a time you needed to be his father, it's now. You have ta believe in him, just as I hold faith one day; we'll see him again. No idea when, but one day…" Gobber patted Stoick's shoulder. "I'll go tell everyone the good news about Valda and Halvor," he then left the room. Stoick sat there quietly, thinking. Had it really been almost three years since Hiccup's disappearance? So much had happened, and all Stoick could ask himself was where the time went?


	7. Another One

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Another One

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Monday, 4/3/2017-6 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Anderson Residence]_

It will have been 4 years in December since the day the Anderson Family asked if they could adopt me, and it's been about 7 years since I arrived in Denmark. Come February 2018, not only will I be 22 years old, but it will mark 8 years that I've been gone from Berk. And to this day, I've never wondered how things are back there. Why should I? It's not like anyone cared I was gone; I finally did what everyone wanted, I left. I'm sure Dad named Snotlout the Heir in my absence, and maybe my cousin is Chief already. Who knows? It wasn't my concern anymore. A lot of things have changed in the past 4 years. My adoption was finalized before I shipped off to Basic Training in June 2014. I'm now Hiccup Anderson to friends and my family, but for the legality of joining the army; I kept Haddock as my legal last name as that's what is on my Green Card, Drivers License, and Dragon License. I do have a little adoption certificate that is framed showing my adopted last name, the date it happened, my parents, and siblings. Then under the paper; there's a photo of me with Henrik, Mari, Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas outside the office where everything was officiated.

I started my process to join the Danish Army the first week of March 2014. Henrik helped me do everything, and we'd spend a good amount of time training to make sure I could do all the exercises in the required time. By the second week in May; I was officially a member of the Danish Military-Army Branch. I shipped for Basic the first week of June 2014 and was gone for about two and a half months, so 10 weeks; then I was doing Infantry training for another 6 weeks. I returned to the Andersons in October 2014 as a full Private First Class soldier, and we celebrated. However, the time at home didn't last long because I was required to do a 4-month tour for international deployments; it was training, but the kind that readied us for a war-like environment. My training tour started in November 2014, and I was shocked to learn that I did get shipped to Syria for those 4 months. I was glad to be home in March 2015, though. During that mini deployment, I turned 19. Also, I left that tour of training at the rank of Corporal. Did I mention that I've made some more friends and I'm married?

Olivia and I got together as a couple in October 2014, when I was back from my Basic and Infantry training. A year and 2 months later in December 2015; I asked Liv to marry me, and she said yes. Our wedding was rushed as we married at the beginning of January 2016. Why did we marry a month after getting engaged? Things got a little crazy because I was getting deployed in February 2016 for 8 months in Iraq. It was right after I turned 20, but thankfully, Olivia and I were able to secure a place to live before I left for that tour. It was an old warehouse in Dragor that I planned and designed to be turned into a living space for Liv, Toothless, and myself. While I was deployed, the construction happened, so when I got home in October 2016; it was done and ready to move into. And we've been here ever since; I'm only ten minutes from Henrik, Mari, and my siblings. Liv and I were talking about starting a family now that we've been married a year, but unfortunately; I have another deployment breathing down my neck, we just don't know when the call is gonna come through.

Also, not only am I 21 years old because my birthday passed in February, but I'm a Sergeant as of January 2017; I command a unit of 6 including myself. I guess I did really good on the last tour which ended 7 months ago. My unit is made up of 5 other males; we're all around the same age. There is Oivind Flinvor, just turned 21 in March. Sigvard Rasmussen, 22 as of December 2016. Eirik Matheson, turning 22 in July. Davyn Lund, turning 21 in September. And finally, Jolgeir Tennfjord who will be 22 in May. Were great friends, and all joined at the same time; Sigvard is my battle buddy, paired since the beginning. Jolgeir and Eirik are paired, so are Oivind and Davyn. But we all do things as a team, which I am the leader of. Our unit is one of two on the Dreki Squad, made up of 12 soldiers. I guess I should break this down better.

I am part of the Alpha Company, led by Major Colden Kongur; this is the same person I met the day I crashed in Denmark; he was a Lieutenant Colonel back in 2010, but I guess he did something, and I have no idea what, that got him knocked down to the rank of Major. This Company breaks down into two Platoons, 72 soldiers each; Lightning run by 1st Lieutenant Brynjar Holt, and Thunder Platoon, commanded by 2nd Lieutenant Matthias Baardson. Both Platoons break down into two Squads of 36 men and women each. There is the Viking Squad, run by Major Kongur's little brother, Sergeant Ander Kongur. And I command the Dragon Squad at the rank of Sergeant. I also lead one Unit; Strike made up of Jolgeir, Oivind, Davyn, Sigvard, Eirik, and myself. There are 6 Units on each Squad, and every Unit is made up of 6 soldiers. So in total, the Alpha Company has 144 soldiers in it that break down into smaller groups.

I'm still friends with Katja, Frieda, and Eira too. Brynjar might be my commanding officer, but we're still close buds. Frieda is working at the dragon training academy as the Strike Class trainer; she did the best when it came to Strike Class dragons, but I'm still the head trainer because I'm the only person with a Night Fury. Eira works as a waitress about 15 minutes away from my place. Dane and I don't talk because I really don't like him; he got Katja pregnant when she was 17, and the two were living together once she turned 18 in June 2014. Katja is about to turn 21 in June 2017, and she has a beautiful daughter named Dagny Jakobsen who was conceived in April 2013, two months before she turned 18. Brynjar was pissed, but I calmed him down. Unfortunately, I was away training in the army for most of Katja's pregnancy. I got to see her in October 2013 when she was 6 months along.

Anyway, Dagny was born on January 15th, 2014. I was happy to meet her when I got home in March. Dagny is basically my niece as I'm Katja's best friend. I don't think Dane likes it very much, but I don't care; I'll hurt him if he ever hurts her. I've expressed my concerns before that Dane has a wicked temper, but Katja assured Brynjar and me that everything was okay. Dagny is now a thriving, active, 3 year old who calls me Unka Hic or Hiccup. Dane really hates that Dagny chooses to sit with me over him sometimes. So, here we are in April 2017. Britta just turned 15 in February; she'll be graduating her schooling come June 2018, I was wicked proud of her. Lilly and Lukas will be 12 in July. Hagen will be 9 in October. Mari and Henrik are well in their late forties now.

That's it for updates of the last 4 years. Do I ever think about the Vikings inside the Archipelago? Sometimes. I do wonder if my dad is still Chief, or if Snotlout was made Heir and took the position. I wonder if they ever think about me and ponder where I went, or if I'm even alive. It's little things that make you think. It's been 7 years, maybe they've changed? I laughed a little. Yeah, right. Wishful thinking. Those people would never change unless they had no choice, and even then; they would still be stubborn about things. Gods, if my Dad knew that I had sex before I was married; he would kill me himself. Liv and I made love when we'd been together 11 months, and that's when I knew how much I loved her, so I got a ring and proposed. Liv and I don't do very often, maybe once or twice a month, but longer if I'm training or deployed. I do have Drill Weekend on the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of every month unless directed otherwise.

I had Drill next Friday on the 7th, but tonight I was having dinner with my family and friends. "Hiccup! Everyone is here!" Olivia called.

"Be right out," I replied. This warehouse was a one level arrangement, big enough for Toothless to be inside, and the layout was set up to be like a studio apartment. However, there was one bedroom; the master suite complete with a bathroom. There was another bathroom on the main floor plan too. And Hiccup had an art studio/office. The backyard allowed for massive parties as it included an outdoor kitchen, pool and hot tub combination, and lots of seating space.

I paid 10858.95 DKK(Danish Kroner; this is about $1,700 in the USA) a month for this place; I owned it since I'd been doing nothing but saving all my money since the start of the Denmark Dragon Training Academy and joining the army. I made 14530.98($2,275 USA), and I'd been in the military for 4 years now. I am making 13414.80($2,100 USA) from the dragon training school every month because it was basically my business; I built it from nothing more than an open field.

"Come on, Hic!" Olivia giggled. I grabbed the rest of the dinner and headed over to the table where everyone was. As soon as I set the pan down; Dagny rushed into my arms.

"Hello, my girl," I lifted her up and kissed her cheek. "Are you being a good girl for your mother?" Dagny nodded her head. "Well, then maybe there's ice cream after dinner for you," Dagny's eyes lit up as she hugged Hiccup tightly. I placed Dagny in her chair as I greeted my mother, father, and siblings. Brynjar, Katja, and Dagny were here. So were Henrik, Mari, Britta, Hagen, and the Anderson twins, Lilly and Lukas. Frieda, Eira, and Dane weren't present, but that was okay. My Strike Unit wasn't here either. I hugged Katja before wrapping my arms around my wife and kissing her.

"Let's have dinner," Olivia smiled. I sat down beside her as we began to get our food; this was definitely the life.

 **. . .**

 ** _[6:45 pm]_**

"So when are you and Olivia giving me grandbabies?" Mari asked with a broad smile.

"I, uh…Maybe soon?" I shrugged as her eyes lit up.

"Hiccup and I have been…Discussing starting a family, but haven't had much time for said discussion," Olivia informed gently.

"Things are a little crazy right now with work," I confessed.

"The life of a soldier," Henrik chuckled a bit. Things were a bit quiet now as Dagny was sitting in my lap and playing with one of her toys; a stuffed Night Fury that I sewed for her when she turned a year old. A phone ringing was heard as I checked mine, but Brynjar was the one to lift his to his ear.

"Holt here," Brynjar answered. Gods; it had to be Major Kongur. The only time we answered our phones that way was if a commanding officer was calling. "I'm with Sergeant Haddock right now," he said. "Understood," Brynjar hung up and stood to his feet. "Come on, Haddock,"

"Work to be done?" I asked while rising to my feet.

"No…That was the call," Brynjar informed. I stopped fast.

"The call? You mean _the call_?" I inquired. Brynjar nodded with his head down.

"Yes, the deployment call we were hoping wouldn't happen. Briefing at Kastellet Base in one hour," Brynjar enlightened.

"Aye, sir," I responded firmly before rushing into my room to get changed; then I came back out.

"Let us know as soon as you're able, son!" Mari called.

"Always, Mom," I nodded. "Bryn, you flying or driving?" I looked at him.

"I gotta change first; you go ahead," Brynjar said. I nodded once more as I looked to Toothless.

"Let's go, bud," Toothless got up as I got on his back and we hurried out the door once I kissed Olivia goodbye.

 **. . .**

 ** _[7:15 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark-Kastellet Military Base]_

Knowing the deployment was coming isn't what made me nervous; it was how fast they could tell us we were packing up and leaving after tonight. I landed Toothless and climbed off as I hurried to stand with Alpha Company where Major Kongur was already there and waiting for the rest to arrive. 7:30 pm hit, and I watched Brynjar arrive with five other people.

"Now that we're all here…" Colden began softly. "I'm sure you know what's happening; that deployment warning we got three months ago in January has come full circle. The tour will be one year in Afghanistan, and we leave Friday, April 24th at 0500 hours from Copenhagen International Airport in Kastrup, Denmark. You know the drill on what to pack. I wish I had better news for you all, but we'll band together and get through it,"

"Sir, yes sir!" we called. The rest of the talking was about the base we'd be at, missions, some big objectives to achieve, and all the same things as the other two deployments we've been on. I was listening, but also zoning out. A year in Afghanistan; this was going to suck, and Liv was going to be very disheartened about it since we'd wanted to start a family, but talking about it was held up by the phone call we got tonight about deployment. And now we were leaving in three weeks, so having a child was now out of the question and would need to be put off a bit longer. I just wanted to get home now, cuddle my wife a little and spend the next three weeks with them as much as I could before shipping off on another deployment.


	8. The Firstborn Returns

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

The First Born Returns

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Wednesday, 11/8/2017-9 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Afghanistan; Danish Drake Base]_

I've been on tour for 7 months now. Thankfully, there was only 5 more to go. I just had my two weeks of leave time in September, and it was nice to be home for a bit. I got to see everyone and hang out as much as possible. Being deployed was hard, especially because this was my 3rd tour in 4 years. I counted the 6-month one in Syria because we actually did train for international combat situations while being in a war zone. So, I've been deployed 3 times in my opinion. Fighting in these things, in war, was difficult when so many things could go wrong at the drop of a coin. I've lost friends I've had since joining in May of 2014; I've seen them die, I've had to leave some behind who couldn't be saved or found, and I've had people pass in my arms. It never gets any easier; the first person I ever lost hurt like nothing I'd ever felt before, and I called Henrik for comfort. It was a big help, but I still remember the people who are no longer with us and sometimes memories from their deaths come back; I always need a little time when it happens.

So much has taken place in the last 7 months, and I couldn't wait to get home. Olivia and I were planning to start a family, finally. Katja is pregnant again; she found a week ago. Dagny was all excited to be a big sister, and Brynjar was happy too. I still didn't like Dane, but as long as Katja was taken care of; I put up with him for her sake. Brynjar was like this too; we've had many discussions about it when Dane and Katja got into arguments and the threat of them breaking up was thrown around. Dane had a temper, and he always said hurtful things like that to Katja, but he'd come back and apologize, so she'd forgive him. The rest of my friends are doing good too; Eira, Frieda, and Frode are all keeping busy with their jobs. My family is doing awesome also.

Henrik and Mari are still married, but that's to be expected. Britta is now 15 and graduating school in June 2018; I'd be home for that too. Lukas and Lilly are 12 as of July 2017, and Hagen is now 9 as of last month. So, that's my life at the moment. 5 more months and I'll be home to keep enjoying it with all the people I've known this past almost 8 years. March 1st, 2018 would mark that momentous day 8 years ago that I came to Denmark. I did wonder how the Vikings were fairing, though. Just a general thought of if they believed I was dead, had bothered to look, tried to venture outside of the Archipelago to find me? But I always pushed the thoughts down; there was no point in thinking about them. Unfortunately, they had their life, and I have mine.

So, here I am in Afghanistan with my Company and Toothless. Yes, he always came with me on tours; he came with me everywhere. Toothless and I were leaders of the Dragon Aerial Force, which was patrols and counter attacks. I'm also a Special Operations Soldier; I do a lot of classified missions for infiltration, recon, and more. I've been Special Ops since 2016; it took a lot more training to become one. It's about 9 am here, but it's about 6:30 am in Denmark; I'd call everyone back home in a few hours as long as I didn't have any missions to do. Currently, it's just after breakfast, and I'm sitting with my platoon in the barracks. Most of Alpha Company are males, but we have maybe 12 females who act as medics or working the radio for communication between the base and Alpha Company.

"Sergeant Haddock!" Colden called from the door of the barrack; I got up quickly and made my way towards him, offering a respectful salute.

"Yes, sir?" I asked.

"Come with me," Colden informed after he saluted me in response and we lowered our hands. Colden turned as I followed him out and soon found myself in the Officers Quarters. Upon walking in, I saw Brynjar, Matthias, and Ander. Colden closed the door after I was inside and I stood there, not sure what was happening, but I knew I couldn't be anything good. "Have a seat,"

"I…Think I'll stand if that's alright, sir," I replied calmly. Colden shrugged and moved between Brynjar and Matthias now. "What's going on?" I asked boldly.

"There's a situation we're being sent to take care of on Thursday," Colden started.

"O…Kay? Like a classified mission that no one else can know about?" I wondered.

"You could say that. The problem is that it…Directly involves you, Hiccup," Colden informed. Okay, now, we were using first names, and Colden was hesitating with words. I knew something had to be wrong.

"Not to be disrespectful, but for the love of Odin; just tell me, Major Kongur…" I pushed. The three males in the office sighed now.

"Our tour of duty is changing locations," Brynjar said.

"Where are we going? What's the job?" I stared.

"Don't beat around the bush, Colden…He has the right to know," Ander muttered.

"Hiccup, we're going to the Faroe Islands to deal with enemies invading the islands," Colden closed his eyes. It took me a minute to process that, but then it hit me like a pile of bricks. The Faroe Islands was also known as the Barbaric Archipelago. I froze and stared at them.

"No. No, I'm not going back there," I shook my head.

"You know we have no choice if headquarters orders it," Matthias reminded.

"Say I got hurt, or I'm sick…Whatever, but I'm not going," I stated.

"Hiccup, something big is happening and if we don't do something….Everyone of them is going to get wiped out," Colden enlightened.

"That is not my problem!" I argued.

"Hiccup, they are your people!" Brynjar countered.

"Maybe they were, but in case you forgot; I left almost 8 years ago!" I glared.

"And when you came here, you knew nothing of the modern world you'd come into. Don't you understand, Hiccup? These people are in danger, and the Faroes are part of Denmark, you know that. Denmark, Faroe Islands, and Greenland are all under the Queens' rule. We've left them alone to live their lives, but now; there's no choice but to intervene. Your people know nothing about the moderness around them, and if enemies strike; they will all die," Matthias stood now.

"It's our duty as soldiers of the Danish Army to protect our people. And Viking or not…They are part of who we swore to protect from enemies," Colden said as Hiccup folded his arms over his chest and turned his head. "I know you don't want to go back, Hiccup…But they stand no chance at surviving if we don't go help,"

"No, you don't understand what I am saying. I'm best friends with a dragon; the very creatures those people are at war with. That is grounds for treason among Vikings, and I will be killed. Toothless too," I looked at him.

"Then we hide Toothless and don't tell them. And if they try to hurt you; we have your back, my friend," Brynjar offered. "We've been tasked with bringing them into the modern world…You speak their language you can talk to them… But you're the only one who knows the Vikings, Hiccup,"

"Exactly, and I can tell you right now that they won't accept your help. Trust me; my father drilled it into my head that when Vikings fight wars, it's an occupational hazard if anyone dies. Friends or family, it doesn't matter to them. Someone dies; they get burned at sea, and people go about their lives two hours later as if nothing happened. Dragon takes a family member, oh well; part of life. They will never accept help from outsiders," I informed.

"But you're not an outsider, Hiccup…," Ander tried now.

"I am to them now. When a Viking runs away or chooses to leave their Tribe; it's self-exile. And that person is not welcome back unless they prove they belong there. And trust me…I never belonged there, so said by every Viking in the Archipelago because I was the small, weak, son of Stoick the Vast, Chief of Berk…" I turned away from them, lowering my head a bit. "And the only thing they'll do if they see me is call me a coward for leaving, or a traitor for siding with dragons. I was never a Viking to them…They didn't need me then, and they won't need me now,"

"Hiccup…" Matthias reached for me, but I shrugged his hand away.

"No. I'm telling you they won't accept the help, and they won't listen. That is how Vikings are. You fight your own battles, or you die as a weak coward. I will go, and I will push back enemies because I have no choice, but I am not revealing myself or my dragon. Sorry, but I refuse to risk my life or Toothless's for those people. You do what you want…But keep me out of it. And that is all I have to say on this matter," I walked out of the office. I couldn't frigging believe this. 8 years away and I'm suddenly being thrown back into the world I fought so hard to escape.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Thursday, 11/9/2017-5 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Barbaric Archipelago Boundaries]_

Hiccup's mood was non-existent since the meeting. Hiccup refused to speak to anyone; he just packed his bags and sat in bed. Colden announced the change in location on Wednesday, and that they were leaving Thursday morning at 6 am. And now, they were at the boundaries to enter the Archipelago. They were using a ship as it was the easiest way in and Hiccup sat off in the back quietly against his Night Fury.

"Hiccup…We could use a little of your expertise right now," Colden said.

"I told you I would push back enemies, but I was no other part of this ordeal," Hiccup remarked.

"Just get over here and tell us where to go," Colden sighed. Hiccup forced himself up and looked at the map, turning it to see better.

"Where are you looking to go? There are sixteen Viking-inhabited islands. Where is the fighting and I will tell what island to sail to and what you're dealing with Viking-wise," Hiccup asked.

"We've had recon teams scouting things out the past couple of months. It looks like the island leaders have grouped up to one place in the last week or so. Enemies have taken over these smaller islands to make as their base camps and launch attacks every couple of days, but even they aren't fairing so well with the dragons. I thought dragons could be docile," Colden looked at Hiccup.

"They can if you know what you're doing, but around here; it's kill or be killed," Hiccup remarked. "You said the island leaders are in one place?" Hiccup asked. Colden nodded.

"Yeah, our teams have reported seeing them sailing here," Matthias pointed to an island. "Any reason why? Are they planning to strike enemies with their own attack,"

Hiccup shook his head. "Possibly. But more than likely; it's the yearly Chieftain meeting. Always happens before Snoggletog, the annual Viking holiday, and the translation of that is Christmas. They gather to discuss how to deal with the dragon raids for the upcoming year. It usually involves searching for the nest," Hiccup mentioned. "And this island is…" he paused and backed up.

"Hiccup…What's wrong?" Brynjar asked.

"Th-That's Berk…" Hiccup replied. "I-It's…Where I'm from…" he backed up more. "I'm staying on the ship…"

"Hiccup…" Colden said.

"No! I'm not going there, end of story. That is my old Tribe, and with all the Chieftains there at once…No, forget it. It's asking to be killed. You don't need me for this…I told you; it's a waste of time," Hiccup moved against Toothless now. "The place is called the Isle of Berk, home to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. Their Chief is Stoick the Vast Haddock. Have fun because he's one of the most stubborn Vikings you'll ever meet, so good luck getting him to listen to reason,"

"Well, we can see where you get your stubbornness and inability to listen to reason from now," Matthias remarked as Hiccup glared.

"Fuck you," Hiccup turned his head away. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he added.

"I don't think he means to be so cold, Major Kongur. But we all know how these people treated Hiccup before he departed, and I sense that there are some lingering feelings of hurt surfacing because he never thought he'd have to come back," Brynjar suggested. Colden, Ander, and Matthias nodded, understanding. "We'll take care of this," he added.

"How do we play it?" Ander asked.

"We'll head in on the lifeboats; we don't want to scare them with a big metal boat and explain we're here to help them," Colden said. Toothless began growing and looking up; the soldiers below looked at Hiccup and Toothless.

"What was that outside?" Matthias inquired.

"Dragon raid is starting," Hiccup informed.

"And…How long do these last?" Colden wondered. Hiccup checked his watch and sat back with his eyes closed.

"It's about 0500 now, maybe an hour or two; they usually take off by sunrise," Hiccup enlightened. "I wouldn't even attempt to go out there until it's over,"

"We have to do something, Hiccup," Ander sighed.

"You do what you want, but I'm not getting mixed up in it. I left to get away from the madness," Hiccup retorted.

"Let's move soldiers. Thunder Platoon, stay back as a backup; we don't want to overwhelm the Vikings with too many people," Colden informed. "Hiccup? You sure?"

"More than I have ever been before," Hiccup stated.

"Move out," Colden ordered the Lightning Platoon. Hiccup knew he should go, but he was very conflicted about being his team or facing the Vikings.

"What do I do, Toothless?" Hiccup sighed.

 **. . .**

 _{Archipelago; Isle of Berk}_

"Stoick! We've got outsiders sailing in on small rowboats," came the voice of Spitelout Jorgenson, Stoick's second in command for the Hooligan Tribe.

"Define outsiders?" Stoick asked.

"Not from around here. Humans, but dressed in strange clothes with odd objects we've never seen before; they were spotted five minutes ago and will be docking soon," Spitelout confirmed.

"We don't have time for this," Stoick groaned.

"Stoick; we got visitors!" called one of the dock workers.

"Keep these dragons off the village!" Stoick ordered as he left quickly with Gobber following.

"Stoick, should we come? Outsiders could be a problem for all of us," Alvin asked.

"Fine, come. But my island, so I'll do the talking. Where are Valda and Halvor?" Stoick inquired about his twins.

"At your house with Diana," Gobber informed.

"Good," Stoick nodded as he and the Chieftains reached the docks to where a group of 36 people was seen coming in on small boats that held about 10 each. Colden got on the dock first with Brynjar beside him. Ander and Matthias were still on the larger ship out of sight, for now. **"What brings you here**?" Stoick asked firmly. Brynjar and Colden tried to relax while standing in front of these Vikings. Yes, they knew Hiccup was a Viking, but he looked nothing like these ones. **"Who are you?"** Stoick asked.

"I-I can't understand them," Colden admitted.

"This is why we need Haddock," Brynjar said. "Maybe we can't understand them, but they are able to hear us. Henrik did when Hiccup came to us. Let me try," he offered stepping forward. "We are not here to hurt you,"

" **Why have you come?"** Stoick pushed.

"I do not understand your language, but if you can understand even a little of what I say, nod your head," Brynjar said. Stoick stared at him but nodded his head once to him. "You are all in danger, and we've come to help fight,"

" **What danger do you speak of? We don't need your help to defeat dragons; we've fought them for years,"** Stoick huffed.

"This isn't working, Lieutenant Holt," Colden informed. A sound caused many to stop and look at the newcomers.

" _Major Kongur! Enemies closing in!"_ said a voice on a black box that the lead man was holding.

" **What is this sorcery?"** Madguts demanded. **"Stoick, they are not from around here. Send them off,"** Nothing else was said before more men raged forward with the objects that the Vikings did not understand. A loud sound was heard as a dock worker suddenly stopped and hit the wood, bleeding and no longer moving.

" **He's dead from this wound,"** Gobber informed.

"We don't stand a chance! Call in Thunder and protect as many of these Vikings as you can!" Colden ordered.

" **We don't need you! You carry their weapons that kill!"** Stoick boomed.

"Please, we're not here to hurt you. We're the good guys; those are the bad guys!" Brynjar faced him.

" **You wear their clothing; you are no different than they!"** Spitelout glared. **"Stoick, we have this and a raid to deal with,"**

"This is no good; they believe we're enemies! We need Hiccup!" Colden yelled. Stoick froze and grabbed Colden quickly.

" **What did you just say?"** Stoick asked quickly. Colden stared, a little afraid of the man staring at him. **"The name! What name did you say?"**

" **Stoick, what are you doing?"** Gobber asked.

"Wait, Major Kongur…You said Hiccup's name; I think that's what he wants to know. What name you said! That must be Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's father," Brynjar informed quickly.

" **You know Hiccup, my son?"** Stoick asked instantly. There was a loud roar heard overhead as everyone looked up hearing a whistle nearing.

" **NIGHT FURY! Get down!"** Gobber shouted. The Vikings ducked and raised their shields. The soldiers began cheering.

"I knew he wouldn't let us down," Brynjar smiled. Toothless zipped in with Hiccup on his back; the Vikings saw the dragon wasn't attacking them, and there was someone riding it.

"Enough…Barrel roll, multiple blasts!" Hiccup yelled. Toothless began spinning fast and let off a round of five blasts to drive back the enemies, they were running for it and left the island. Hiccup scoffed as he whipped around and jumped down in the space that was between the Vikings and his Company.

"That was brilliant, Haddock," Brynjar grinned. "I knew you wouldn't leave us hanging," Hiccup didn't say anything as he looked up at the raid still going.

"Toothless. Alpha mode," Hiccup stated. Toothless split his back spines apart and took on a blue glow as the dragons began to stop and hover while watching. Hiccup cupped his hands over his mouth as Toothless opened his and the two let out a loud roar together. Hiccup motioned his hand out in a quick fashion, the dragons quickly departed. "We stopped the enemies and the raid, can we go now?"

"Come on, lad, don't be that way…" Colden sighed.

"I did my job…You have fun with the rest," Hiccup remarked as he prepared to leave while the Vikings were grouped together to see what was going on.

" **Hiccup,"** Stoick said as Hiccup froze. **"Hiccup, is that you, son?"** he asked stepping forward. Hiccup took a deep breath.

" **I guess not even 8 years away changes me, does it?"** Hiccup replied as he stared at his dad after turning around. **"It's been a while,"** Everyone's eyes widened, or some gasped. It was Hiccup; taller, older, and looking a little different but the auburn hair, green eyes, and scar on the right side of his chin were unmistakable. Hiccup Haddock, the firstborn son of Stoick the Vast was back.


	9. It's Going To Be A Long Day

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

It's Going To Be A Long Day

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Thursday, 11/9/2017-6 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Archipelago; Isle of Berk]_

Hiccup must have sat on the ship for a good 20 minutes, battling with himself about what to do. Hiccup knew that Colden and Brynjar would make no headway with the Vikings, and there would be a slight communication barrier between the sides. Hiccup knew what it would mean if he showed his face on Berk; 8 years may have made him taller and older, but he still had the same auburn hair and green eyes. Plus, Hiccup was still a twig despite being 6'2'' and weighing 176 pounds at the age of 21, almost 22 in 3 months. Hiccup did the only thing he could do; he called Henrik and gave him a short, 3-minute rundown of what had happened. Henrik told Hiccup that he joined the army to protect, and hopefully bring peace by ending the wars of the world, and Henrik asked Hiccup if he would abandon that vow he made when he got sworn in over something as little as having to protect the people he was once part of. Sadly, Hiccup knew the answer without needing to think about it. Hiccup couldn't talk about helping end wars if he wasn't willing to help in all the ones he was needed to fight in.

Hiccup told Matthias and Ander to stay put and wait for orders, but he was going ahead with his platoon. Hiccup knew what he was risking by going in on Toothless, but it was all he had that would stop an attack of this size and make sure the Vikings didn't interfere upon seeing a Night Fury. Hiccup warded off the enemies and ended the dragon raid in a matter of just 5 minutes. However, as he was hoping to make a quick escape before anyone recognized him; his prayers were not answered. Stoick stopped him right away, and Hiccup knew that he really was a coward if he denied it and ran away.

Everyone knew who he was now, and the area was silent, but no one moved as there was a Night Fury standing beside Hiccup. The dragon wasn't attacking anyone and looked pretty calm, but there was hesitation after years and years of raids by the same creatures they saw now. Stoick almost went weak seeing his son standing there in the same clothes that the outsiders wore.

" **You're alive?"** Stoick asked. **"Oh, son! My boy…You're home,"** the Berk Chief hurried forward to hug Hiccup, overwhelmed to see him alive and standing before him after so long. Hiccup stepped back when Stoick neared him.

"That's far enough," Hiccup said as Stoick stopped, shocked by his son's remark to stay away from him.

" **But son…I'm just so happy to see you again. I-I thought you had died out there,"** Stoick informed.

"As you can see, I'm very much alive and well," Hiccup stated.

" **Why won't you let me near you?"** Stoick inquired softly.

"Because I'm not here to return to Berk, so best if you don't get comfortable with the idea of seeing me," Hiccup responded. Stoick tried to get closer to him again, but this time; Hiccup snapped his fingers. Toothless got on all fours, wrapping his tail around Hiccup's midsection protectively and growling lowly at Stoick, which forced him to stop again. "I told you that you've come close enough. Do not make me have to tell you again,"

"Hiccup…" Colden sighed heavily.

"Sorry, Major Kongur. I told you that I did want to come here for this reason alone," Hiccup reminded.

"This is your Tribe, Hiccup," Brynjar tried.

Hiccup looked at them and turned his head. "I told you that leaving 8 years ago was considered self-exile, and a former member of the Tribe only comes back if welcomed once proving they belong there…" Stoick's eyes widened. "And I was never welcomed as a member before I left…What difference does it make now? I'm only here on orders, nothing more. I'll be on the ship if you need me,"

"We do need you, Sergeant Haddock. You're the only one who can speak their language; we need a translator…" Colden informed.

" **What is going on?"** Stoick demanded.

"You need to tell them the dangers out there, Sergeant. It seems like they're willing to listen to you if nothing else," Colden tried.

"It will not make a difference, Major. These people never listened to me before, 8 years changes nothing as I've said countless times. They refuse to believe there is more beyond the boundaries, and they would never agree to live a new way of life, even if their lives depended on it," Hiccup argued.

" **Excuse me?"** Oswald blinked. **"Our way is just fine,"**

" **Uh huh, tell me again how you plan to defeat an enemy you know nothing about and can't stand against their weapons?"** Hiccup faced them now.

" **Just tell us what we're dealing with, son…We'll listen,"** Stoick reached for him.

Hiccup moved to the body of a Viking who had been shot. **"This is what you inevitably face,"** Hiccup said. **"A weapon that kills instantly. This man stood no chance, and neither do any of you. We were tasked with warning and preparing you for other attacks like tonight,"**

"Well, I guess Hiccup has this under control," Brynjar motioned.

" **Who is** ** _we_** **?"** a blond with blue eyes stepped forward. Hiccup recognized her; she was Astrid Hofferson. Not far from her were the other teenagers he'd grown up with until his departure at 14 years old.

" **My team of soldiers, equipped with the weapons and knowledge necessary to teach you how to defend yourselves from these new attackers,"** Hiccup said.

"Whose team of soldiers?" Colden arched a brow.

"I'm sorry, do you want to explain things to them. You wanna deal with them, be my guest. I'm sure I can find other uses for my time," Hiccup remarked.

Colden was about to answer when Brynjar shook his head. "Leave him be, Major Kongur…You asked for Hiccup's help in this, so let him do his job…" Brynjar reminded. Colden sighed and nodded for Hiccup to continue.

" **Hiccup, none of this makes sense…"** Gobber tried to get closer now. **"You're…wearing their colors; you have a Night Fury standing next to you which you arrived here riding on…Now all this about weapons we stand no chance against…You need to give us more than what ya are,**

" **And I'd love to, but I can already see that more than half of the Chieftains here, maybe all of them, don't trust the soldiers or me. So I'm beginning to wonder if this is even worth my time to sit down and explain. And leave my dragon alone; he's not hurting anyone. I mentioned some time ago that dragons weren't what we think they are,"** Hiccup informed calmly.

" **Why do you wear their colors!"** Madguts demanded.

" **This is what soldiers wear,"** Hiccup said.

" **Enough now. Hiccup, you need to tell us what this is all about,"** Stoick remarked.

" **Only if you will agree to actually hear what I have to say, and not immediately shoot me down or tell me it's not your problem as you've done in the past…"** Hiccup countered.

"Haddock! Look out!" someone shouted from the group of soldiers. Hiccup turned quickly to see an enemy heading his way. Hiccup leaned to avoid the punch coming his way. Hiccup grabbed the man's wrist, twisted it; then brought back his left fist and punch the enemy in the face while letting go. The enemy glared and charged again. Hiccup turned to elbow him in the chest and face before crouching low and hooking his leg around the man's ankle to force him to fall on his back. The man pulled a gun, and the sound was heard as Hiccup grasped his right arm before getting his own sidearm, aiming and firing it. The Vikings watched as the man had stopped instantly, then fell to the ground, blood coming from a hole in his skull.

"Shit...Haddock's hit! Medic!" one of the soldiers called as Brynjar checked Hiccup's arm.

"Grazed you, and won't need stitches, but still needs to get wrapped before you end up with an infection," Brynjar stated after inspecting Hiccup's upper right arm.

"Well done, Sergeant Haddock," Colden stated.

"Nice reaction time, my friend," Davyn said while dabbing up the blood and wrapping Hiccup's arm with a long white bandage. "Good to go,"

"I was trained well," Hiccup stated before slipping the sidearm into its holster after he'd fixed his jacket.

" **He uses the same weapons as these** ** _enemies_** **do!"** Alvin argued.

" **The difference between them and us is that we kill to protect, and they kill because they can,"** Hiccup enlightened. **"We're the good guys,"** he then pointed to the man he'd shot. **"Those people are the bad ones who are trying to kill all of you. Now, you can listen to me, or you can end up doing things the** ** _Viking_** **way…And meet the same fate as this man,"** Hiccup motioned to the dead Viking on the docks. **"It is your decision,"** he added.

Stoick looked at Hiccup now. **"After seeing what these weapons can do with my own eyes; it's clear that we will stand no chance in a battle we don't know how to fight in if these enemies return…"** he sighed.

Hiccup faced Colden now. "There, I got their attention for you. You can take it from here," he stood beside Brynjar now, his hands at his sides with Toothless not far.

Colden mumbled as he stepped forward now. "I am Major Colden Kongur, and I'm the commanding officer of these 36 soldiers; there are more on a ship we have anchored past the island markers. As Hiccup stated, we've only come to help in defeating this new enemy. However, you've noticed that the weapons they use, and use too are stronger and more dangerous than yours. Hiccup…Has been kind enough to explain that you are Vikings, and have always lived your lives a certain way," he began.

" **And it's apparent that our way is no longer enough to thwart attacks…What must be done?"** Stoick asked.

Colden looked at Hiccup for help now. "He wants to know what must be done to ensure they can defend themselves against the new enemies," Hiccup translated.

"Beyond this Archipelago is the way of life we live; the one that can teach you how to live safely in the new times," Colden stated.

" **Hiccup, I don't understand this man…"** Stoick looked to his son. Hiccup groaned.

" **Short version and bottom line; you live in a time that was believed to have died out 951 years ago, and if you don't learn a little of the time we're in; you're as good as dead by the next attack. The Viking Age, as it is called; ended in the year 1066. Vikings still exist in present day, but most have moved on from these islands past the boundary and have formed with the new age over the years. Currently, We're in the year 2017, everything is…How do I put this easily? More advanced,"** Hiccup explained.

" **So what you're saying is we have to learn how to live like you did when you left here 8 years ago. Living in the world beyond the Archipelago?"** Gobber questioned.

" **Yes, actually; that's exactly what I'm saying. I know you've lived your lived a certain way for all these years as our ancestors before us…But while you enjoy the roots on which we derived from; you have to move forward as time does. This…Is the only way to survive. I had to learn it, and now you must do the same, or you will get wiped out,"** Hiccup stared from his spot.

" **What's all the business with the Night Fury sitting beside you?"** Stoick decided to ask.

" **Dragons aren't what you think they are. The letter I wrote to you before I left; I said that I had a chance to kill a dragon and wouldn't because I couldn't. This Night Fury is that dragon. He was weak and injured, but I let him go, and he let me live, which is against everything you know about Night Furies,"** Hiccup informed. **"I can show you how dragons really are; I can show you a new life to live while you still hold onto the life you knew…But you have to trust me,"**

" **How would we go about this** ** _new life_** **?"** Cuyler wondered.

" **You have to leave the Archipelago to live in it and learn how it works."** Hiccup stated.

" **No. We will not leave,"** Madguts glared.

" **I-I have to agree, Hiccup…I want to learn how to protect the islands, but how can we keep it safe while we're away. You know a Chief doesn't leave,"** Bertha said softly.

" **Then you condemn your islands to be attacked and taken over. I don't know how else to put that to you, and I'm saying it in Norse. I know you're scared to leave, but there is more out there; I've seen it with my own eyes, and I've been living it for 8 years. And I'm still perfectly fine as the day I left. Your islands will be safe in your absence. We have more soldiers who can defend the islands while we work with you until you can do it yourselves…"** Hiccup stated.

" **It's our job to defend, not theirs,"** Norbert interjected.

Viggo of the Dragon Hunter Tribe stepped forward. **"I'm going to have to agree with Hiccup,"**

" **Are you serious, Chief Viggo?"** Magnus of Visithug Isle asked.

" **It is clear that we've gone as far as we can living the way we do. If young Hiccup speaks the truth about a world beyond our borders that is more advanced; then we must learn of it to save our kind,"** Viggo remarked calmly.

" **I'm with Chief Viggo,"** Jorund of the Quiet Lifes Tribe agreed.

" **As am I,"** Mogadon stepped forward. **"As leaders; we have the job of protecting our Tribes, but we cannot do that effectively if we don't know how to fight an enemy with weapons we've never seen before. We must take this chance to better ourselves and protect our homes,"**

" **I must also agree,"** Erland of the Shivering Shores nodded.

" **I refuse to leave while people I've never met are left in charge of my island. I will stay,"** Oswald huffed. **"But I will send my son Dagur and daughter Heather,"**

"Hiccup, what is being said?" Brynjar inquired while leaning close to Hiccup's ear.

"They understand that they will not survive if they do not move into the world we reside in. And they are stating who will leave to learn, and who shall stay behind," Hiccup reported.

"So, they agree to the idea?" Colden wondered.

"It's hard to say; it seems that way for now, but I know Vikings…There will be a whole discussion about this while we make arrangements," Hiccup stated.

"I'll need a headcount," Colden reminded.

"I'll deal with it when they're finished," Hiccup nodded. Finally, Stoick faced Hiccup.

" **Son,"** Stoick cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Hiccup replied.

" **How long will we be away?"** Stoick questioned.

" **Not entirely sure. It depends how fast you pick everything up and adjust. If the leaders are in agreement; our people can start preparing the islands to have the basic essentials,"** Hiccup mentioned.

" **Does it help in defeating enemies?"** Gobber walked up now.

" **It'll help you survive the remainder of your lives and the future generations to come,"** Hiccup enlightened calmly, but his face was firm. "Major Kongur, perhaps now would be a good time to call in the reinforcement soldiers and begin stationing them on the islands. And make sure there's a readiness group to start working renovations, electricity and whatnot,"

"I'll take care of it," Colden nodded as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. Brynjar stood beside Hiccup now.

"You alright?" Brynjar asked.

"I said I'd never come back here, Brynjar…I said as long as I lived; I'd never return to the Archipelago," Hiccup sighed as Stoick forced himself to listen in.

"Hiccup, I know these people never treated you right, and they hurt you…But you're doing a good thing by coming back despite personal feelings to help them," Brynjar offered. "You're a good man,"

"I just wanna get back to Denmark, or go finish the tour in Afghanistan. I'd take a heavy war zone over being back here right now…" Hiccup closed his eyes.

"Hey, go flying for a bit. I'll radio you when we need you back," Brynjar patted his shoulder.

"Thanks," Hiccup nodded as he gave a whistle and Toothless bounded over excitedly. "Ready for a fly, bud?" Toothless warbled and licked his cheek. "Alright, come on," Hiccup jumped on his back. The Night Fury roared out and darted into the morning sky above.

"I can't believe he rides a dragon…" Astrid said.

"I can't believe he's friends with a Night Fury," Fishlegs agreed while standing beside her.

"How can he just show up after 8 years and everything is totally fine…?" Snotlout huffed as Ruffnut sighed.

"Because Hiccup is Stoick's son, and you heard what the Chief said the day Hiccup left. If Hiccup ever came back; he'd be welcomed and treated right…" Ruffnut reminded.

"Doesn't seem like he wants to be here," Tuffnut added. "Maybe we can go?"

"What?" the group looked at him.

"Go to this new world and see where Hiccup's been all this time," Tuffnut mentioned.

"We'd have to ask Stoick," Fishlegs interjected. The friends made their way over to Stoick now.

"What can I do for you?" Stoick asked upon seeing them.

"We were…Wondering if we could come too?" Astrid began. "If we're the next generation of Berk…We should see the changes ourselves, right?"

"It's not a bad idea…And I could use some help with Valda and Halvor. I haven't seen Hiccup in 8 years; there's no way I'm not leaving to go with him and see everything. I still need to tell him that he has a brother and sister…" Stoick sighed, not sure how Hiccup would take the news. "You can come," he added. "That takes care of the Berk travelers. You five, Valda, Halvor, and Gobber. Spitelout will be left in charge," Stoick decided. "I'll speak with the others and figure out who is going or they might be sending," Stoick headed off. Meanwhile, Hiccup just watched everything from above. The sad part is that it was only about 6:30 am, and Hiccup knew that it was going to be a long day of preparations.


	10. The Kingdom of Denmark

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

The Kingdom Of Denmark

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Thursday, 11/9/2017-4 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Archipelago; Isle of Berk]_

The Vikings took some time to figure things out in the Great Hall while Brynjar, Ander, Colden, and Matthias were working together to figure out transportation methods and the overall plan to bring the Viking Islands into the modern world. Hiccup stayed with Toothless, just patrolling around Berk and trying to get his head together about all this. Hiccup wanted to go home; he wanted to be with his wife and family again. Hiccup had no idea how the Vikings were going to live in Denmark, or who was going to teach them the way of things. Hiccup had Henrik, but he's been retired from the military since January 2013.

"Gods, how am I gonna deal with this, Toothless?" Hiccup sighed heavily. The Night Fury warbled sadly at him, knowing Hiccup was bothered by everything happening.

 _[Night Fury. Calling Night Fury. How copy? Over.]_

Hiccup got the radio off his belt and held it up while pressing the button. [First of all, I can see you from where I am; you could have signaled me down. Secondly, 5 out of 5. Over.]

 _[Oh. Well, we're ready for you. Kongur said to get down here. Over.]_

Hiccup sighed a bit. [I'm coming. Night Fury, over and out.] Hiccup clipped the radio to his belt and directed Toothless back to the ground. Hiccup carefully got off Toothless and stood beside his dragon while facing the Chieftains, and several others. Hiccup was the talk of the village, and he expected that. A lot of people had questions, and Hiccup had no time or patience to deal with that situation. "You summoned me, Major Kongur," Hiccup turned in Colden's direction, offering a salute.

"You're kind of running this operation, Sergeant. We need you to communicate with them," Colden informed.

"Of course you do," Hiccup sighed as he looked at the Vikings now. **"Final headcount. Who is venturing beyond the border of the Archipelago?"** he asked Stoick.

" **14 of us, son,"** Stoick replied.

" **Who is going? There are 16 islands, and one Chieftain per Tribe. So, one per island then?"** Hiccup inquired now.

 **"Not everyone is going, laddie. The other islands aren't prepared to send themselves or Heirs out beyond the Archipelago. It's Berk, Dragon Hunter, and Berserker. I guess we're going and reporting back, and they'll accept help from whoever is coming on your side,"** Gobber stated.

" **I won't leave the island, but I'm sending both of my Heirs; Dagur and Heather,"** Oswald from Berserker Island stated.

" **My brother, niece and I are going,"** Viggo of the Dragon Hunters interjected.

Hiccup eyed them, waiting for the rest. " **Berk has several,"** Gobber put his finger up. **"Me, Stoick, Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Valda, and Halvor,"**

" **Why do 9 of you need to come?"** Hiccup stared, clearly unamused.

" **We're part of the next generating of Vikings; it makes sense we go and see what world we have to be part of,"** Snotlout remarked with a snort.

" **And who are Halvor and Valda?"** Hiccup asked. Suddenly, two 4-year-olds were seen poking their heads out from behind Stoick's legs. **"No. I'm not taking children with us,"**

" **Hiccup, they have to come with me,"** Stoick began.

" **Why?"** Hiccup pushed.

" **Because…They're my kids,"** Stoick finally said after a moment of silence. Hiccup didn't say anything; he stood there trying to process the information.

" **I'm sorry…It could be lack of sleep or my stress level sky-rocketing…But what the hell did you just say?"** Hiccup asked quickly.

" **They are my children, Hiccup. The girl is Valda, and the boy, Halvor; they are your brother and sister…"** Stoick explained.

Hiccup said nothing as he stared in disbelief almost. **"They…Can't be more than 4 or 5…I'm…nearing 22 when the frig did you have them? And why did you have two more kids?! You were 45 when I left Berk!"**

" **That's why I had them, son…You were my Heir, but then you left. And after a year of searching and finding nothing…The fear was that you had died. I needed an Heir to the Tribe…The choice was Snotlout, or have another child. And I ended up with twins…They were born 4 winters ago during on the 11th day in Morsugar…"** Stoick enlightened.

"Morsugar…That's…January 11th, 2013…Oh, Odin above help me…Where is their mother?" Hiccup asked, forgetting he wasn't speaking in Norse anymore.

" **It was a contracted arrangement; she's not in their lives anymore,"** Stoick informed.

Hiccup facepalmed hard and groaned. "Fine…I can't very well expect you to abandon them here…At least you're a father to them," Hiccup mumbled almost, but Stoick heard it, and he felt guilty because he knew he wasn't a good father to Hiccup.

" **I'll stay back and watch the Tribe, Viggo. Take Vera; I don't want her on Dragon Hunter if there's another attack,"** stated the man next to Viggo.

" **You know, I can hear you. I speak both languages…"** Hiccup mumbled. **"If you've chosen to stay back, then we're at 13,"** he looked at Colden. "Final number, 13," he said.

"I'll see what we've got coming. But we're here overnight…" Colden informed as Hiccup froze.

"WHY?!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Reinforcements and readiness crews aren't coming until tomorrow morning; there's a storm holding them back. It's only one night, Sergeant," Matthias stated.

"Says the guy who hasn't spent 8 years putting his past behind him," Hiccup remarked coldly. "Ugh…I'm sleeping on the ship," he prepared to leave with Toothless.

"Sergeant Haddock, enough. You know we need you here to translate, you're the only one who can until the others arrive…" Colden sighed heavily. "Just think on the bright side, we don't have to spend another 5 months on tour," he tried to lighten the mood.

"I would rather be in Afghanistan doing a 16-hour guard or patrol, even in a firefight than be here right now…" Hiccup admitted with his arms folded over his chest.

"Oh, stop it. Come on; we're going home early! Don't you wanna see everyone again?" Brynjar asked. "Your wife will be thrilled you're home early,"

Hiccup smiled a little. "Yeah, guess that's true," he nodded.

Stoick blinked. **"Wife? You're married?"**

" **Yeah. Have been for almost 2 years in two months,"** Hiccup shrugged.

" **Th-That's great, son. I'm happy for you. I-I hope I can meet her,"** Stoick hoped.

"I hope you don't think that this _alliance_ we'll call it is an open invitation to try and get back into my life, and know that once this is done; I'm not coming back to Berk," Hiccup said firmly as Stoick tensed a little. "I befriended a Night Fury; I ran away from the Tribe. I'm not a Viking, and I've long put it behind me that I never will be. My _brother_ or _sister_ can take over the Hooligans. It's the same thing I've told everyone else; you didn't need me 8 years ago, and you don't need me now as it's very clear you had no problem replacing me. I'm only here because I have to be…Not because I want to be. I never wanted to come back, and once this is over…You won't see me again, Stoick," he walked away from them and stood with a few of the other soldiers.

" **I'm sure…He didn't mean it, Stoick…"** Gobber told him.

" **No, Gobber…He did. And I can't blame him either. I pushed him off on you as a child; I scolded him countless time for mistakes he may not have made if I'd been the father he needed me to be…I let the Tribe talk ill of him….I know I messed up, and that's just what I have to live with. At least I get to see him for a little while, and I know he's alive and well,"** Stoick looked down.

"It's getting dark," Brynjar mentioned.

"We should set up camp," Colden said.

"You guys go back to the ship and sleep there; I'll stay on the island and guard it with Toothless," Hiccup stated.

"A-Are you sure that's what you want to do?" Colden asked. "You should have some backup…"

"I'll be fine; it's not like I can sleep anyway. Go on; I got the radio, and if there's a problem, you won't miss Toothless's signal," Hiccup snapped his fingers. Toothless raised his head and fired a blast into the sky. When it exploded, there were circular waves of purple that started small and expanded. Not arguing, Hiccup connected hands with his 5 teammates for Strike Unit; then he watched the soldiers disappear to the docks and sail to the ship past the markers.

"S-So we're leaving tomorrow?" Vera asked; she had brown hair and dark brown eyes.

"That's the plan," Hiccup replied.

"Do we need to bring anything?" Fishlegs asked.

"No. Just yourselves and no weapons either. You won't need them where we're going," Hiccup informed. "Don't you have dinner to eat or something?"

"Are you hungry?" Gobber asked. "We can bring you something out,"

"No thanks. I don't eat while I'm on patrol or guard," Hiccup stated as he leaned against Toothless with his knees up and gun laid across his lap.

"We-Well, if you need anything-," Stoick started.

"I won't be asking any of you," Hiccup retorted. "Trust me; I don't need anything from you. I've made it just fine without your help. As it's always been; you worry about you and your Tribe. I'll continue to do my own thing and take care of myself," he turned his head from them with an annoyed look in his eyes. Stoick bit back, but he motioned for the others to just walk away. Hiccup laid his head back and closed his eyes. _I just want to go home…I just want to go home_. He thought.

 **. . .**

 ** _[Friday, 11/10/2017-5 am]_**

Hiccup didn't sleep at all, not that he could because he was on island patrol all night with Toothless. The Vikings passed by and watch Hiccup never leave his place or shift much; it was the most focused anyone had ever seen him. A raid had started at 4:45 am, but Hiccup and Toothless dealt with it before anyone could raise a weapon. Now, Colden was coming up to Hiccup as a lot more began to happen.

"Good morning, Sergeant Haddock," Colden greeted. Hiccup got up and saluted him. "Quiet night?"

"Aye, sir," Hiccup nodded.

"You'll be pleased to know that the other teams have arrived. Headquarters sent us a Brigade to split up among the 16 islands; I made sure everyone knew where they were going so you wouldn't have as much to do. There are soldiers to fight and defend, teach, and help get things modernized," Colden informed.

"Thank the Gods," Hiccup sighed in relief. "When are we leaving?"

"Half an hour. They sent us seaplane as there are no runways here; you'll fly with them and your unit; we'll be meeting you back in Denmark with the second plane; you guys are going ahead while we stay back and make sure things are situated here," Colden stated.

"Understood," Hiccup replied respectfully.

"Good, now go round them up," Colden told him.

"Sir, yes sir!" Hiccup saluted to him. **"THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE COMING WITH ME, FRONT AND CENTER, PLEASE!"** he yelled out.

"Not quite what I had in mind, but I'll take it," Colden laughed a little. A group of 13 made their way in front of Hiccup.

" **Right. Now, I'm sure you've noticed the major changes since last night. Our soldiers have arrived and already been spread out among the islands. There is one translator who will do what I do now, talking in both languages to make communication easier. You have nothing to worry about; all your islands and Tribes are in good hands. Next…We're leaving shortly; I'll kindly ask that you don't freak out and just do as you're told. I'll explain things as they come up,"** Hiccup called to the 13 before him.

" **We're ready,"** Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

" **Yeah…You say that now,"** Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Hiccup…Don't be that way. I remember 8 years ago where a 14-year-old Viking boy crash landed with his dragon and knew nothing of the world beyond the Archipelago," Colden chuckled a little. Hiccup whipped around and faced him.

"Wait a goddamn second…Can you understand me when I talk in Norse?!" Hiccup yelled angrily. Colden froze and laughed nervously. "You can! Why the fuck have I been translating when you could do it!?"

"I, uh…Wanted to make you feel useful in this operation…" Colden shrugged.

"You son of a bitch! You knew I wanted no part of this!" Hiccup glared as he clenched his fists, but never punched; he shoved past Colden, knocking him down but Hiccup didn't stop.

"Major, are you okay?" Brynjar asked quickly.

"Yeah…I probably deserved that…" Colden got himself back up.

"What was all that about?" Matthias asked.

"My attempt to get Hiccup to calm down a little and be less hostile with the Vikings backfired," Colden informed. "It's alright. I won't hold it against him," he added as Hiccup was standing on the docks with Toothless.

 **. . .**

 ** _[5:45 am]_**

Hiccup never left the dock; he was pissed, and it showed clear as day too. Finally, they saw something flying in and land on the water, skidding up to the dock.

"What in the name of-," Gobber asked.

"Okay, a simple way of putting it. This is a big, metal object that can fly. Think of it as a metal bird; it's called a Seaplane, and it's going to take us to the Kingdom of Denmark which is a 4-5 hour ride Southwest of here over the ocean," Hiccup stated.

"Wouldn't metal just fall out of the sky?" Heather said quickly.

"Technically yes, but I promise this is safe. I'll give you a full, detailed explanation later; just get in the damn plane!" Hiccup motioned to it as the door opened and the small staircase was brought out. Slowly, 13 Vikings filed in slowly and cautiously, not sure how to take in the newness of it all. Hiccup came in last and saw them standing around. "Find a seat and sit," he told them. Everyone picked a spot and Hiccup stood at the front holding something in his hands. "Alright, this is called a seat belt; you'll find two sides on each side of your seat. You're going to take both ends and connect them like this," he instructed.

Most everyone got it, but Vera Grimborn; the niece of Chief Viggo, did not. Hiccup moved back and grabbed the two pieces, securing it for her. "Thank you," Hiccup nodded while checking up and down the aisle to make sure everyone had it set. If they didn't, Hiccup corrected it.

"All good in here, Hic?" Brynjar asked.

"Ready for take off," Hiccup gave a thumbs up. Brynjar nodded as he connected hands with Hiccup and smiled before they hugged.

"See ya in Denmark!" Brynjar informed over the sounds of the seaplane engines started up.

"Looking forward to it! Tell Toothless to fly home!" Hiccup called back as Brynjar nodded and closed the door; then flipped the latch to lock it.

" ** _This is your captain speaking. As we proceed to take off, please remember to keep your seatbelts fastened until we've reached cruising altitude. Once the light has been turned off, you're free to move about the cabin. We know you have many choices in your traveling needs; we thank you for picking Sealand Air,"_** a voice announced.

"It's all good; the people flying the plane have to do it. Just sit back and try to relax; take off is easy. We're gonna pick up speed along the water and gradually lift off into the air. You may feel a little shaking and force as we lift, but it's okay. You have nothing to worry about, trust me," Hiccup assured them as he flipped down the seat in the front that faced all of them and secured his belt.

" ** _All passengers secured and ready for taking off, Sergeant Haddock?"_**

"All clear!" Hiccup replied. "Let's get moving,"

" **Sir, yes sir!"** the male voice said. Soon, the plane began moving as Hiccup watched everyone get a little nervous, but did nothing more. When the plan began to lift, Hiccup saw some of them grip their seats more.

"Here we go," Hiccup told them. It was like this for a good 15-20 minutes, but the plane leveled, and it was a smooth flight. "See, told you there was nothing to worry about," he stated as the light went off and he unbuckled himself. "Now, we just sit back for the next couple of hours until landing,"

 **. . .**

 ** _[11:20 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Katsrup, Denmark-Copenhagen Airport]_

Hiccup actually fell asleep after the first forty-five minutes of being level in the air. However, upon reaching Denmark; the announcement to return to their seats for the descent woke him up.

"Alright, landing is a bit rougher. Re-buckle your seatbelts and stay relaxed," Hiccup informed.

"How on Midgard did you sleep through all that?" Fishlegs asked. "It's terrifying,"

"One; this is not my first time flying. Second; I didn't sleep last night," Hiccup stated. "You get used to it after a while," he added. The plane began to lower as the Vikings looked outside the windows to see everything different. "Taking it in?"

"You've been here for 8 years?" Astrid inquired.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Hiccup smiled.

"You seem like you're in a much better mood," Dagur stated.

"I'm home," Hiccup looked out the window. Nobody said anything else as the plane hit the runway and jerked a bit, but it came to a slow stop. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Denmark," he stated.


	11. Day One

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Day One

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Friday, 11/10/2017-11:30 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Denmark; Copenhagen Airport]_

Hiccup had to admit that this entire situation sucked. However, it wouldn't be true because regardless of the fact he got stuck going to Berk; he was now home and off my deployment 5 months early. And nobody except for Henrik knew about this location change. Hiccup told him that he'd likely be home early, and he said he was going to keep it a secret to surprise Mari, Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas. Not even Hiccup's friends knew, but Hiccup bet Katja would be overjoyed to know Brynjar and him were back. Hiccup wasn't surprised he'd fallen asleep during the flight; it was easy for him to do when he hadn't slept good or at all the past couple of days. Either way; it was over now. Hiccup was back in Denmark and couldn't wait to see everyone.

Hiccup unlatched the lock and opened the door as the staircase was brought up. "Come on," Hiccup told the Vikings. Slowly, they began to unbuckle and follow me out. Getting on the stairs, Hiccup looked to see Toothless and then Henrik and Mari.

"Dad! Mom!" Hiccup hurried down the stairs. The Vikings instantly stared, surprised when Hiccup jumped the last 7 or 6 stairs to reach the blacktop. "What the hell are you guys doing here?"

"Mom? Dad?" Stoick asked.

"Remember that he's been gone 8 years, Stoick…He said he had family here. Maybe not blood, but you get the idea," Gobber reminded as Stoick nodded, but continued to watch.

"I've missed you guys like crazy," Hiccup hugged his parents. Mari had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh, my boy…I'm so grateful you're back early, and safely…" Mari sobbed. Hiccup hugged her.

"I'm okay, Mom…" Hiccup assured as Mari cupped his cheeks and kissed his forehead.

"Welcome home, son," Henrik greeted. The two pulled back as the small family stayed around Hiccup.

"I thought you said you weren't telling them?" Hiccup chuckled a little.

"I couldn't resist," Henrik replied. "We didn't think we'd see you again for another 5 months when the deployment ended. Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas don't know either,"

"It's cool; I don't mind. Where's Liv?" Hiccup asked.

"Nobody knows your home but us, son," Henrik chuckled.

"Great, then I can still surprise her, and my siblings," Hiccup nodded.

"So do we get to meet them?" Mari asked.

"In due time. For now…I think we should get off the runway," Hiccup informed.

"Right you are, my boy," Henrik agreed.

"Come," Hiccup told the 13 Vikings. Feeling that they couldn't do much more than listen to Hiccup in this new place; they didn't argue or ask questions while Hiccup led them off the central path for planes coming in and leaving. Getting to the exit after Hiccup grabbed his bags; he saw a covered truck like when he arrived 8 years prior, and it was used t carry Toothless to Henrik's house. Standing before it was Major General Olsen.

"Major General, sir," Hiccup greeted with a respectful salute, the man gave one back then smiled.

"At ease, Sergeant Haddock," Askel said as Hiccup dropped his hand to his side. "It's good to have you home, soldier. I trust the others will be along shortly, and your flight was easy going?"

"Yes to both, Major General Olsen," Hiccup nodded.

"Excellent, and a job well down for your service in Afghanistan too. I've heard nothing but good reports on your patrols, guards, and operation. Both special ops and normal," Askel said.

"Just doing my duty," Hiccup responded.

"Well, I won't keep you. I figured you might not want to draw attention to your group there, so I brought over one of the trucks for you to bring them to your place," Akel said.

Hiccup's smiled faded, and he blinked. "M-My place?" he asked.

"Of course. Who else was once a Viking himself and can help them adjust?" Askel smiled. "Major Kongur said it would be fine since 9 of the people were from your Tribe anyway. I don't have another place to keep them, Sergeant. You have a big house with enough space. It'll be alright for a while, won't it?"

"Kongur said it was okay, did he?" Hiccup mumbled.

"He…Said he ran it by you…" Askel stated.

"Oh, really?" Hiccup stated; then sighed. "Fine, I'll take them to my house," he agreed.

"That's a good, lad. If you need anything; let me know," Askel informed.

"Clothes for them, and perhaps let me keep the truck for a bit for travel purposes," Hiccup said.

"Consider it done, Sergeant," Askel nodded as he and Hiccup shook hands; then the Major General left with someone else.

"You alright, son?" Mari asked softly seeing Hiccup's aggravated face.

"Dad…Remind me how many years in prison I get if I kill Colden in cold blood when he gets back?" Hiccup rubbed his temples.

"First-degree murder? Pre-meditated…I don't know. Probably 25 to life," Henrik replied.

"Think I get less time if I plead temporary insanity?" Hiccup wondered.

"It's possible," Henrik shrugged.

"I'll take my chances…" Hiccup got his phone and dialed Colden.

" _Yes?"_ came Colden's voice.

"You asshole! Why in the name of Odin would you tell Olsen that I agreed to keep the Vikings at my place!" Hiccup yelled.

" _You're a Viking, Hiccup! It makes sense for them to be around you! If anyone knows how hard it is to adjust to a new life; it's you!"_ Colden said quickly.

"I have a wife with whom I'm trying to start a family with! I don't want to be babysitting 13 Vikings! I wanted no part of this venture, and everybody in Alpha Company knows it! I just wanted to do my year on tour, come home, and now, I have to do all this. And for the record; I didn't have a hard time adjusting; I loved everything I had to go through to get where I am today," Hiccup growled.

" _Come on, Hiccup…I'm sorry. It was a last minute thing when I was asked where they'd be staying for all this…I just…Blurted your name out,"_ Colden stated apologetically.

"Thanks for checking with me first, and making my life harder with a matter I want nothing to do with. You did this because I used to be part of a Viking Tribe. And you think that them with me will make it easier because I'm a Viking or whatever. Guess what? I'm not a Viking, Colden! I never was, and never will be! Don't volunteer me for shit again," Hiccup informed angrily.

" _I'm sorry, Hiccup…You're right; I should have asked you first. What can I do to make it up to you?"_ Colden asked.

"Because of you, instead of relaxing and working my normal job; you've got me working double. Now when I leave the base every day; I get to come home and work some more. And I'm frigging pissed about it, so when you get back later…Don't fucking need me for anything, and stay far away or I'm gonna risk getting court marshaled and knock you out," Hiccup warned.

" _Threat heard and understood, Sergeant…"_ Colden audibly gulped. Hiccup ended the call and put his phone away. Henrik put his hands on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Hiccup, hey…Breathe, son. Easy…It's alright. I know its frustrating, but everything is okay," Henrik soothed. Hiccup closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That's it. Calm down. You just got home, it's been a long 7 months away, and things are a bit crazy. But hey, you're back. Your wife is waiting for you. We're all here…It's good. Okay?" he continued.

"Your father is right, Hiccup. It'll be alright…" Mari assured gently. "We'll help in any way we can," she offered.

"Thank you, Mom…But you've both done so much for me already when I came here. I can't ask you to do it all over again," Hiccup smiled softly.

"You don't have to, Hiccup. You're our son; it's our pleasure to help you out when you need it," Henrik stated as he hugged Hiccup with one arm around his shoulders and Mari kissed Hiccup's cheek.

"You guys are the best," Hiccup hugged both of them.

"Go on and head home with them, see your wife, and try to relax a little. If you need anything, let us know," Mari suggested. "We'll plan to get together and celebrate you being home in a few days,"

"Alright," Hiccup nodded. "Vikings, into the truck,"

" **The what?"** Stoick asked.

"Okay, just like with the seaplane. A big metal object on wheels that moves using an engine and gas. Example of gas is like what dragons use to light their fires; only this gasoline is not smoke; it's liquid. Gas cycles through car and power the engine. The engine and truck itself have a bunch of gears and parts that help the vehicle move. Now load up in the back and sit down," The Vikings began to step up and file in, then sat along the two benches provided on either side.

Hiccup closed the flaps and moved up to the driver's seat. He flipped on the backlights for them and opened the window so they'd be able to see him and not panic. Hiccup started the truck up and looked back at them. "You good?"

"I-I think we're alright," Gobber nodded. Hiccup turned around and put the truck in the drive as he headed away from the airport and down the roads to lead him to Dragor. Toothless was loyally following by flying above the truck.

 **. . .**

 ** _[11:50]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Residence]_

Hiccup pulled up in his driveway and parked the truck. Hiccup moved around back to open the flaps and let the Vikings out.

"Ssh," Hiccup out a finger to his lips for them to be quiet.

" **Why?"** Fishlegs wondered.

"Because I'm gonna surprise my wife," Hiccup informed as they nodded, and were a bit curious to meet the woman Hiccup married 2 years ago. Hiccup moved to the back door and opened the garage door entrance; instantly he saw Olivia standing there looking nervous at first, but as soon as she laid eyes on him, the smile was broad.

"Hi-Hiccup?!" Olivia asked in shock.

"The one and only, Milady," Hiccup smiled opening his arms up. Olivia dropped what she was doing and bolted for him. Instantly, she jumped into his arms and held on tightly with her legs around his waist and arms around his neck.

"Oh, my God! You're back! You're home! I wasn't…Expecting to see you for another 5 months! What are you doing home so early! Were you hurt?" Olivia sobbed as Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Hey, hey…I'm okay. I'm not hurt, and there was a slight change in orders. Everything is fine, babe. The tour is over; I'm home, hopefully, for a good long while now," Hiccup assured as Olivia pulled away a bit, grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. Hiccup kissed her back with equal passion; then they shared a few smaller kisses before Hiccup carefully placed her down gently.

"Are you home for a while this time?" Olivia asked.

"Should be," Hiccup nodded. "Gods, I've missed you,"

"I missed you too," Olivia and Hiccup kissed again. "Since you're home early..." she trailed circles on the front of his uniform. "Ready to start that family?" she wondered curiously.

"Well, gimme a little bit. Just got home and still pretty busy," Hiccup chuckled. "But yes, Milady; we'll start trying for a baby as promised,"

"Here's the thing...How about I give you 6 or so months?" Olivia giggled.

"Well, bit long, but I guess if that's when you wanna do it," Hiccup shrugged.

"No, I mean 6 months until the baby comes," Olivia said. Hiccup stopped and pulled away from her for a second.

"Wait a second, what did you just say?!" Hiccup asked as Olivia giggled.

"Hiccup, I'm already pregnant. I'm 10 weeks along," Olivia informed. Hiccup's eyes widened, looking at her and then her stomach.

"R-Really?" Hiccup inquired as Olivia nodded. "No way! Are you really, babe? Are you really pregnant?!" Hiccup got excited.

"Yes, yes!" Olivia nodded to him as Hiccup lifted her by the hips and spun her around before hugging her again and kissing her deeply. "Are you excited?"

"Oh, my Gods, yes! When...How? I've been gone for like two months since the last time had made love. Why didn't you tell me sooner? How long have you known!" Hiccup asked quickly.

"I got pregnant when you were home in September. Remember, when we had sex like two days before you had to go back? Well, I guess the condom broke or something and I ovulated on the 15th. You know my period has always been a little weird, babe. I thought nothing of it in October, but then November when I started feeling sick all the time; I went and took a home test at the start of the month. I got everything confirmed with the doctor yesterday and she puts me at 10 weeks exactly. I've got an appointment on the 22nd for a sonogram," Olivia explained smiling broadly. "I was planning on telling you when you called, but you're home, so surprise!"

"Gods! I'm so ridiculously happy right now. Are we really gonna be parents in 6 months? I-I get to be a father..." Hiccup stared at her. Olivia nodded again as Hiccup kissed her. "I might cry...I love you. I love you so goddamn much, Olivia,"

"No crying. I'm happy too, and I love you more than words will ever say," Olivia cupped his cheeks. "So...I notice we have guests. Who did you bring home with you?"

"My changed orders. They're Vikings…And I'm charged with watching and teaching them about modern things, so they can go back home and live the way we do and not get wiped out," Hiccup explained the easiest way he could think to do it in.

"So…What Henrik spent a year doing for you?" Olivia questioned.

"Well, I'm not teaching them _everything_ , just the basics. Electricity, vehicles, possible Danish, common modern household things, etc," Hiccup shrugged.

"Let me guess, they are your responsibility, and they have to stay here?" Olivia smiled knowing her husband was not happy with the arrangement. Hiccup nodded. "I guess it's a good thing we have a big house, isn't it? I'm sure we can rearrange somethings and set the back half of the house up like one of your barracks on the base. Perhaps the military will provide you with some cots, blankets, and pillows?" she suggested.

"This is why I love you," Hiccup kissed her again. "I'll make the call," he stepped away with his phone out to his ear; then looked back at the Vikings still standing outside. "You can come inside, you know," he mentioned as the Vikings hesitantly stepped inside. Toothless used his snout to close the door once they were inside; then the dragon located his stone and laid down on it to relax. Hiccup walked over after a few moments and was slipping his phone away.

"All take care of, babe?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, they'll deliver it all by tonight. I guess I should start moving some of this stuff," Hiccup sighed.

"Babe, you just got home…Grab a shower, change into something comfortable. I'll whip up lunch; then we can worry about shifting some of the furniture around," Olivia put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed them a bit.

"Sometimes, you're just too good to be true, Milady," Hiccup turned his head to kiss her; then he headed for another part of the house and disappeared behind a door. Olivia giggled a bit and moved to the kitchen to start making something for lunch; she assumed the easiest meal that would feed 15 people would be stew or soup.

"Please, don't be frightened by anything. Come, sit down and relax some," Olivia motioned to the living room space. The Vikings moved in more and found places to sit, confused and intrigued by all the furniture. It wasn't all that different from what they had, just softer and bigger. "I know you probably can't reply to me, but my name is Olivia Haddock; I'm Hiccup's wife. Welcome to Denmark, and our home," she smiled at them.

" **I can't believe Hiccup is married with a kid on the way,"** Tuffnut stated to his friends.

" **Certainly can't deny the affection he shows with her. No matter; this is their home, so we need to mind our manners and be respectful,"** Heather mentioned.

 **. . .**

 ** _[12:30 pm]_**

Hiccup finally returned a little bit later; he wasn't wearing what he had been before. Hiccup was in dark brown pants, a long-sleeve, olive green shirt, and wearing what appeared to be as white socks on his feet. Also, the stubble Hiccup had on his chin was gone, indicating that he likely shaved.

"Feel better now?" Olivia asked him.

"Much. Nothing beats a hot shower and fresh shave," Hiccup smiled. "And what are you cooking because it smells amazing?"

"Well, I wasn't sure what I could make that they'd like, so I went with stew. Potatoes, beef, carrots; it's just about done," Olivia replied. "I introduced myself to them, but I don't know if they understood me,"

"They can understand a little bit of what we speak," Hiccup confirmed. "Come, I'll make introductions," he held her hand. **"This is my wife, Olivia Haddock,"** Hiccup told the Vikings. "Babe, in order; this is Stoick Haddock; he's…My father. Next to him are my brother and sister, Valda and Halvor Haddock. Next is Gobber Forger, he was my blacksmith mentor and overall caretaker. Uh, then there is Fishlegs Ingerman, Snotlout Jorgenson, Astrid Hofferson, and finally Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. All 9 of them are members of the Tribe I was once part of; the Hairy Hooligans of Berk,"

"So good to meet you all," Olivia bowed her head gently.

"Next is Heather and Dagur Bazirk of Berserker Island. Viggo Grimborn, Chief of the Dragon Hunters, and his niece, Vera Grimborn," Hiccup introduced.

"Wow, Hiccup. 8 years away and you still know all of them," Olivia put her head on his shoulder.

"You don't forget where you came from," Hiccup shrugged.

"Well, let's eat," Olivia moved over to the stove and stirred the stew a little while Hiccup got out the bowls and spoons. 10 minutes later; Hiccup and Olivia were passing out the food before getting two bowls for themselves and sitting down next to one another to eat.

"Gods…I've missed your cooking," Hiccup said after the first bite.

"I'll make your favorite for dinner," Olivia offered. Hiccup's eyes lit up.

"Crispy pork and parsley sauce?" Hiccup asked. Olivia nodded as he kissed her. "Oh, you just wait until we're alone and I show you how much I love you," he said quietly, but a few heard it and wondered what he meant. After lunch was over and cleaned up from, Hiccup's team showed up with bags of clothes for all ages and sized ranging in what Hiccup told them he'd likely need for the Vikings. By 4 pm; all 13 of the Vikings had at least 5 sets of clothes to wear, socks, underwear, and bras for the ladies, and one pair of shoes. Hiccup got the task of showing the men how to deal with buttoning and zipping jeans while Olivia graciously took the girls to teach them about bras. Hiccup showed all of them how to tie their sneakers at one time.

Around 5:30 pm when Olivia was making dinner; the guys had helped Hiccup move furniture out of the way for when the cots arrived and were set up barrack-style. 10 on the left and 10 on the right. Dinner was served at 6 pm, and Hiccup enjoyed every bit of it. By 7 pm, Hiccup helped Olivia with putting things away and doing the dishes. So by 7:30 pm once Hiccup had to give the Vikings a tour of his house and the important facts of bathroom use, Hiccup was exhausted and relaxing on the couch.

"Hic…Hiccup, hey, you're falling asleep," Olivia shook him a little. "Why don't we turn in early tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm down for that," Hiccup nodded with a yawn. **"You all good to find your beds?"**

" **We are, lad,"** Gobber replied.

" **Then I bid you goodnight,"** Hiccup locked his arm around Olivia's waist and led her to their bedroom. Hiccup grabbed a remote and dimmed the lights for the evening. **"Keep an eye on them, bud,"** Toothless crooned lowly, but nodded his head before Hiccup closed the door.

"I guess we should get some sleep too. It's been a long day," Heather suggested. With the Vikings in agreement; they went to their beds and laid down, finding how surprisingly comfortable they were; then everyone began to fall asleep knowing that day one was over, and tomorrow would likely start the learning of the modern way of life.


	12. A Look In

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

A Look In

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Saturday, 11/11/2017-4:30 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

" **Dragon raid!"** was yelled as Hiccup shot up in bed and looked around.

"What was that?" Olivia sat up, worried.

"Nothing, Milady. Just go back to sleep; I'll deal with it," Hiccup sighed as he kissed her lightly and she laid down to return to her slumber. Hiccup quickly pulled on his boxers and a pair of shorts and walked out of his bedroom while flipping on the lights and seeing all the Vikings up and ready to fight.

" **What the hell is wrong with you?"** Hiccup glared as he approached them. **"There is no raid; it's just the dragons flying around and getting their breakfast over the water, which my house is right near. You're fine, go back to sleep,"** Hiccup stated.

" **Dragons flying over to steal food, like a raid!"** Snotlout argued.

" **Shut up. Unlike the Archipelago; we don't get raids. We have peace with dragons, now lay down and go back to sleep. It is 4:30 in the morning! Most people don't even get up until the sun rises…"** Hiccup groaned. **"You're safe here, stop worrying so much. Now go back to bed…We'll talk more in a few hours,"** he walked away, shutting off the lights again and returning to his room. "Gods, I should not have a headache this early in the morning…" he mumbled from his bedroom.

"Want me to de-stress you, Love?" came Olivia's voice, followed by the sound of a kiss.

"Raincheck, Liv. Not in the mood, and exhausted," Hiccup replied.

"Alright. I love you, babe," Olivia stated.

"Love you more," Hiccup said, and then nothing else was heard from the room.

" **Was he always that grumpy first thing in the morning?"** Astrid wondered.

" **Not that I recall…"** Stoick shook his head.

" **SHUT UP AND GO BACK TO BED!"** Hiccup yelled from his room. Quickly the others just laid down and stayed quiet, even if they didn't go back to sleep.

 **. . .**

 ** _[6:30 am]_**

The Vikings never went back to bed, but they stayed quiet. Valda and Halvor did end up falling back to sleep. As a few hours passed and the sun rose; the group of 13 saw Olivia come out of the room, but Hiccup wasn't beside her.

"He's still out, but I'm headed to work. Just, uh…Stay quiet for Hiccup, please? He's had trouble sleeping lately," Olivia stated, not expecting a response back but hoping they understood her. "Help Hiccup if he needs it, Toothless," the Night Fury gave a curt nod to his rider's significant other and Olivia gathered a few things; then she exited the house.

"What do you think she meant by Hiccup having trouble sleeping?" Fishlegs questioned.

"And for the Night Fury to help him?" Viggo interjected.

"No idea. We haven't seen Hiccup in 8 years, and it clear that a lot has changed. I, for one, never expected Hiccup to have befriended a feared among the Vikings dragon, be married, and now expecting a child," Stoick closed his eyes.

"None of us even believed he was alive, Stoick. But it looks like the lad left the Archipelago and built a new life for himself. As different as all this might be; Hiccup's doing pretty good in this world," Gobber shrugged. "I'd honestly like to say I'm proud of him,"

"Let's just try to sit and be quiet for now," Vera offered. "I don't know about any of you, but the silent Hiccup we all knew has a voice, and it looks like a pretty bad temper if annoyed…So let's try not to tick him off."

"Sadly…I agree with Fishlegs. Guess Hiccup did inherit some of your qualities, Stoick; he got your temper," Gobber chuckled a little as Stoick glared. "Yep, there it is,"

 **. . .**

 ** _[7:45 am]_**

The Vikings sat around talking quietly among themselves; they did get up and wander the house while trying to figure out what somethings were. However, they had no luck in deciphering things. In the midst of a moment of silence; they heard noise coming from Hiccup's bedroom. Toothless lifted his head quickly and listened closely.

"N-No…Please, don't go. It's going to be fine…You can't die…" Hiccup begged. They moved to the room and peered inside to see Hiccup tossing and turning. "Rog…Come on, buddy. Stay with me…We're almost there…Hang on a little longer…"

"I-I think he's having a nightmare," Stoick informed.

"No…No. Stay awake…Rog…No. Come on…Please, Gods no…No…NO!" Hiccup yelled as he sat up in bed, breathing hard, sweating while trying to look around. Toothless roared as the Vikings moved and the dragon warbled lightly, nuzzling his face to Hiccup's and purring a little. Hiccup's breathing began to relax a little as Toothless laid his head in Hiccup's lap while Hiccup pet his head lightly. "It's okay…Just a nightmare…I'm okay…Thanks, Toothless," Hiccup lowered his head onto his Night Fury's, taking a few deep breaths.

Gobber forced them back and away from the room before Hiccup saw they were spying. "What are you doing!?" Stoick asked.

"Leave him alone, Stoick. Us being there is only going to upset him," Gobber warned. "It's best if we back off; he's not going to want us on his case. He already doesn't like this situation with us back in his life,"

"I believe the blacksmith is saying that we'd do well not to butt in on his personal life regardless of who we are or were to him," Dagur mentioned. Stoick sighed; he knew they were right, but he was secretly hoping to get another chance with his son. A few minutes passed before Toothless came out and then Hiccup right behind him. Gobber shot them all a look that said; _act like you know nothing_.

"Morning, lad," Gobber greeted.

"Hey," Hiccup rubbed his eyes while moving to the kitchen and getting the coffee maker ready. Hiccup was wearing the same thing as he was at 4:30 am when he first got up. No shirt, a pair of loose shorts that showed just the waistline of his boxers.

"Sorry about this morning with waking you up…" Vera said softly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to not getting a lot of sleep; I shouldn't have expected any of you to know we don't have raids here," Hiccup said while going in the fridge to get the milk, and then a spoon from the drawer. The coffee finished brewing as Hiccup poured himself a mug and mixed in sugar and milk before putting things away. Hiccup sat down in his chair and took a sip. "Oh, so much better…"

"What is that?" Stoick asked.

"Coffee; a lot of people drink it. There are ingredients in it that perk you up in the morning, give you little bursts of energy through the day," Hiccup explained.

"A drink can do that?" Viggo blinked.

"You probably wouldn't like it, though. It's an acquired taste; took me a few months to get used to it. It comes down to how you like it made. Sugar, milk or cream, some people add flavors of blueberry, hazelnut, caramel, chocolate, even honey. Me; I just like it dark but sweet," Hiccup stated while taking another sip.

"So, what do we get to do today?" Astrid inquired.

"Well, none of you are ready for the public yet, so I think we'll be staying here and I'll familiarize you with modern things in a standard household," Hiccup mentioned.

"You showed us everything last night," Dagur said.

"I showed you rooms of the house; I did not show you everything," Hiccup sighed.

"And is this…A standard household?" Vera wondered.

"Well, not quite. I have this because I needed room for Toothless. This place is called a warehouse…Think of, what's the best way to put this without confusing the shit out of you…Ah, got it! Food and weapon storage huts. A warehouse is typically used for storing things, but a lot of people have been turning them into livable houses," Hiccup explained.

"So you're wife is working?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded.

"What do you do all day? Well, if we weren't here? Don't you have work?" Heather inquired.

"My job is being a soldier, and the head dragon trainer," Hiccup stated.

"Wait…You have dragon training here?" Tuffnut blinked.

"Not the kind you're thinking of. Here, we don't learn to fight them. Dragon Training for us is learning about and understanding how to coexist together. I mean, we all live in the same world, might as well share it. Before I came here 8 years ago, dragons were around, but both sides just left one another alone. When I and Toothless crashed here; it showed people that we could be friends and allies with them. I teach people about dragons, and train dragons to have human interaction. There's a whole school for it that I run, well, my dad does now, but I'm still the head trainer," Hiccup enlightened.

"What kind of dragons do you work with?" Gobber questioned.

"All kinds," Hiccup replied while taking another drink of his coffee. "We have dragons from every classification out of the dragon manual you have on Berk. When they come to us; they are wild, like you get in raids. But…With a little trust and understanding; you get what you see with Toothless," the Night Fury warbled. "The school here teaches about the 7 classes of dragons, how to bond, train, care for, and ride them,"

"That's…Pretty impressive, lad," Gobber said. "And you started all that?"

"I did," Hiccup nodded. "When I met Toothless, I never expected him to become my best friend. I mean, he's basically me, just as a dragon. And…So far, he's still the only Night Fury I've ever seen. I think he's the last of his kind," Toothless warbled a little. "Aw, come on, bud. We're not giving up the search," Hiccup rubbed his head.

"You understand him?" Fishlegs smiled.

"It's our bond. I can't really explain it, but we're close enough to know what's going on with each other," Hiccup informed. "I think he senses my emotions, and for me reading him; his sounds and facial reactions are easy,"

"How come the dragons don't raid here, but they do back in the Archipelago?" Viggo asked.

"I actually have never gotten to the bottom of that; I think something is making them do it. I've learned while wrangling dragons that every nest has an alpha dragon, and not every alpha is good. It depends on the nature of the dragon. For example; you saw Toothless back on Berk. Toothless takes on that blue glow and the dragons obey him. That's why I call that glow is Alpha Mode. The dragons don't listen as well if he's not using it. Toothless is also ridiculously more powerful in that mode," Hiccup said calmly.

"So the reasons the dragons listen here is because Toothless is their Alpha?" Astrid arched a brow.

"That's my assumption," Hiccup shrugged a little.

"Would you…Be able to stop the raids in the Archipelago if the dragons believed Toothless was their Alpha?" Stoick wondered.

"It's possible. The dragons always go West of Berk, or at least I noticed that while I was there; it's likely the nest is located in that direction. The position of Alpha is given to the stronger dragon of the pack. If I had to take a guess, and this is just a theory…Toothless would have to battle the dragon at that nest in order for the dragons to entirely respect Toothless and obey his order. Right now, they listen because they know Toothless is stronger than them, but the dragon in charge at the nest may be stronger than Toothless if that makes any sense and also, it's just a theory," Hiccup reminded.

"We never find the nest," Snotlout informed.

"You also never finish the search because the dragons attack," Hiccup pointed out. "Look, you don't gotta worry about your villages and the raids. I made sure my top dragon trainers from the school are present; they'll deal with pacifying the dragons and keep them from attacking," he mentioned.

"Out of curiosity…Why are you basically wearing no clothes?" Heather wondered.

"Well, this is how I sleep. Gets warm at night, most people strip down and sleep that way. You'll get that after enough time here. I know you're used to cold all the time," Hiccup said.

"Ah," Heather nodded, understanding.

"I take it your slim figure never left?" Gobber chuckled.

"Not really, no. I'll always have this figure, no matter what I do. The army requires its soldiers to be in peak form, so a lot of this is just because of diet and exercise," Hiccup enlightened. "Around here, being skinny isn't a bad thing; it means you're healthy,"

"But you have muscles; you didn't have those 8 years ago," Snotlout remarked.

"Says you. I was always wearing long sleeves; all this was under it. And I've gotten stronger as the years went on," Hiccup responded. "The army demands it, as I said. We need to be able to carry 60 to 80 pounds of gear, hike for miles, do heavy lifting, pushups, situps, pullups," he added.

"Doesn't seem like its that heavy," Dagur said casually.

"Only because you don't have to do it all the time, and the stuff you use isn't nearly as heavy," Hiccup sighed.

"Example?" Fishlegs asked. Hiccup got up and moved to one of the side rooms and brought out a silver bar with two black circles on the ends.

"Here; this is about 80 pounds. I want you to hold it behind your back on your shoulders as long as you can until your arms get tired," Hiccup remarked. Snotlout got up as Hiccup put the bar in his hands when they were up. Snotlout's legs buckled a little when Hiccup let go and stepped back. For 10 minutes, Snotlout was fine but as it went on 15; he was showing signs of struggling. Hiccup moved behind and took it from him.

"Hey, I was fine," Snotlout said.

"No, you weren't. You were huffing and puffing while your arms began to shake; the sign they are tired, and you're straining them. Don't do that; you'll pull a muscle or hurt yourself. You managed that about 15 minutes before you would have needed a break. I carry that weight for hours at a time on my shoulders while standing still or hiking long trails and roads," Hiccup set it on his shoulders now. "I've been in the army for 5 years in 3 months; I do this every day. And sometimes it gets heavier than that, really all depends on what we're doing that day in training," Hiccup brought the weight back to the room he'd gotten it from.

"You do that kind of stuff every day?" Stoick asked.

"Part of the soldier lifestyle. If we're not deployed and fighting in a war; we train every day to make sure we're ready to go out and fight," Hiccup replied.

"So how come you're not doing that today?" Astrid questioned.

"Because I'm stuck babysitting a bunch of Vikings," Hiccup retorted. "And we don't have to report to base on Saturday and Sunday unless it's a Drill Weekend, which…I do have coming up in December. Ugh…3 days of hellish workouts," Hiccup said after checking the calendar.

"What happens with us when you go there?" Viggo wondered.

"Not sure yet. They make me bring you along. Technically, I'd have Drill at the end of this month, but just came out of a war, so they give us a little time to readjust," Hiccup said.

"Wait…You were just in a war?" Stoick asked.

"Yeah, over in Afghanistan. I was supposed to be there for a year, but then this whole situation turned up, so I'm home 5 months earlier than expected," Hiccup informed.

"Where's…Whatever that place you just said is?" Viggo questioned.

"Afghanistan?" Hiccup looked at him. "What the best way to show you?..." he paused and looked around before moving into a side room and getting a map. Hiccup laid it out on the floor and scanned it; then pointed with his finger. "Here,"

"And where are we now?" Fishlegs leaned over.

"Denmark is here," Hiccup used his other finger now. "And before anyone asks; the Archipelago is here," he motioned to that next. "This a world map; shows every country on Earth, or as you know it, Midgard," Hiccup informed. "The Archipelago is also known as the Faroe Islands, and you guys are technically part of the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Greenland, which is over here," he showed them. "Kingdom of Denmark kind of in a way owns the Faroes and Greenland; you guys have your own governing islands, meaning you run them, but the Queen of Denmark has more power than any Chieftain,"

"So what you're saying is that there is a woman who rules over us," Snotlout blinked.

"That's a simplified version, yes," Hiccup nodded. "Obviously; she lets you do your own thing, but in the case that enemies were closing in on your islands, the army, navy, and air force get sent to defend her home since we're all under her leadership. She's the one who ordered us to move in and protect you guys. As I said; I was only there on orders, not because I wanted to,"

"So you came to protect us?" Gobber stared. Hiccup rolled up the map now and stood up.

"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. Yes, I came back to protect you from getting wiped out despite the face I didn't want to return," Hiccup said as he turned his back to them. "I'm a soldier; that's what I do. We fight the battles that others cannot. And we will give our lives for the sake of peace and freedom. It doesn't matter who you are to me; if you live in Denmark, Greenland…or the Archipelago; then you are part of my home. So I will fight to defend my home and keep the residents safe even if it means my own life is given to ensure such an outcome," he moved away from the group of 13 and put the map away.

"Wait…You're not going to die, are you?" Stoick asked when Hiccup returned.

"I hope not, but it's a risk I take in every battle. I've been in 3 wars now; I know anytime I fight, I might not come back alive, or at all. Nobody wants to die, but sometimes we sacrifice ourselves to save others…I've lost a lot of friends that way, but the soldiers who die go with bravery, courage, and honor knowing that they did everything they could to protect the people back home, even if it means they can't go home themselves. As you might put it…It's an occupational hazard, and we don't mind dying for a good cause. We're willing to give our lives for the sake of freedom and peace; that's what we fight for," Hiccup informed firmly.

Nobody had ever heard Hiccup talk that way; it was different and confusing to grasp that Hiccup had no problem charging into battle and fighting, even if he ended up dying. Hiccup was not the 14-year-old boy who left Berk 8 years ago. No, now he was a man they never expected he could become, and they weren't sure how to consider it. Hiccup was willing to die to protect others, including them and he had no hesitation or fear in his voice when he said it.

"But hey, enough seriousness for one day. It's only 8 in the morning, and I'm sure all of you are hungry," Hiccup stated in a calmer, happy tone. Hiccup moved into the kitchen and started looking for what he could make that would feed 14 people. The others blinked a little, surprised at the sudden change in his moods. First, he was all serious; now he's happy-go-lucky like he was as a teenager before leaving. And yet, this was only the beginning of their time in Denmark, but it was nice to get a little look into Hiccup's life. Truthfully, they all hoped to learn more.


	13. Modern Lessons Pt 1

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Modern Lessons Pt. 1

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Saturday, 11/11/2017-8:30 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

The breakfast spread Hiccup created for the Vikings was like nothing they had ever seen before. Hiccup knew the best way to get them used to new foods was by just having them eat a variety. Hiccup made scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with butter, sausage, and homefries. Somethings made sense, but the rest; the Vikings had no idea. Hiccup also provided apple juice, orange juice, and milk for drinks.

"Just eat it," Hiccup told them.

"But what is it?" Heather asked.

"Food," Hiccup chuckled. "Come on; I wouldn't give you anything that will hurt or kill you. This is how I learned, by just doing it and not asking questions," he added. Still hesitant, but hungry; they began eating. Hiccup shook his head while eating his and reading the paper quietly.

"This is really good," came Ruffnut's voice as Hiccup glanced over to see her drinking the apple juice. "What is it?"

"That's apple juice," Hiccup informed.

"I love this," Gobber ate a piece of bacon.

"And that's bacon; it's thinly sliced meat off the sides and belly of a pig and then fried in a pan with oil," Hiccup stated while taking a sip of his coffee.

"I love these eggs; they're so fluffy and flavorful," Astrid remarked.

"You can make eggs so many ways. Scrambled, like that. Then there's sunny-side up, poached, hard-boiled…I personally like them sunny-side up, like this," Hiccup brought over his plate. "Tastes great with toast, which is the bread you have," he explained. "The homefries are just potatoes cut into squares and fried," he added.

"Never took you for a cook," Dagur said.

"It's a skill everyone should know," Hiccup responded while finishing his food. "Besides, I rather enjoy it," he tossed his plate away and put the fork in the sink. "You guys finish up; I'll be back in a few minutes," he walked off into his room.

 **. . .**

 ** _[8:50 am]_**

Hiccup returned wearing brown jeans but nothing else on.

"You really don't like shirts, do you?" Gobber chuckled.

"It's right here," Hiccup held up something red.

"What are those?" Vera inquired curiously.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"The metal necklace; you never take it off," Vera pointed to what she meant.

"Oh! Those are my dog tags, every member of the military has them. They have names, birthdate, what branch you serve, identification number, and what religion you believe in," Hiccup explained. "And I never take them off because I'm really not supposed to,"

"Can we see?" Astrid asked.

"Well, you won't be able to read my tags because you don't know the Danish language," Hiccup informed, then tapped his chin a bit. "But…Here; it can be one of the first things I teach you; the writing and language here," Hiccup grabbed something out of another room and brought it out. It looked like a giant piece of paper. Hiccup wrote the Norse Rune alphabet for them. "This is what you know how to write as Vikings. But here…We use this," Hiccup wrote next to each letter what the Danish correspondent was. "And these are the numbers, at least 1-20, I'll show the rest later," he wrote numbers next.

"That's…Not so hard," Vera mentioned.

"I agree," Fishlegs nodded.

"Alright, good. Now, the language is what you hear, but can't speak back. You know Norse, we know Danish. I know both which is why I can talk to you the way you know, and the way they know. If you understand what is being said, you can speak it too with a little practice," Hiccup informed.

"How long did it take you?" Snotlout asked.

"Well, I was speaking it my first day; I picked it up from Henrik when he talked to Major General Olsen, the guy you saw yesterday at the airport; he's the Chief of the Danish Army. Yeah, that's the best way to put that," Hiccup stated once he was sure they would understand. "Overall learning it the way use now…A couple of months or so," he added.

"So, can you teach us? We understand it, a little bit at least," Ruffnut inquired.

"Sure. I'll do for you what my dad did for me," Hiccup stated.

"I was meaning to ask, and hope you don't get mad…Why do you call that man from yesterday your father? I mean, Stoick is right there," Vera wondered.

"Henrik and his family adopted me before I turned 18," Hiccup grabbed a picture off the fireplace and brought it over for them to pass around. It showed the adoption papers and pictures from that day. "When I first came here, Henrik was the only person who spoke Norse and acted as my translator and teacher for the modern world. Henrik took me into his home with his wife Mari, and 4 kids, Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen. I lived with them until I got married almost 2 years ago, but the Andersons adopted me in 2014 right before I joined the army," he explained.

"If you're a runaway or orphan and under 18, regardless of your biological parents are still alive or not, you can be adopted. I left Berk because I wasn't a Viking; I wasn't welcome there, nor was I wanted. And…I had Toothless to think about; I couldn't let him get killed. It was easier to leave, never look back or return. We all know I would have been marked a traitor and likely killed for befriending a dragon. So, what life did I have in the Archipelago? Wasn't liked, wasn't wanted…I had nothing. I left and started over here. And now I have all this; it's still the best decision I ever made." Hiccup said calmly. Stoick got the picture now, seeing how happy Hiccup looks standing with the people from yesterday. "In a law-witnessing sense, my name is Hiccup Haddock-Anderson, but I use just Hiccup Haddock the Third for the military because it's easier and legally, who I was born as,"

"So, they are your parents now?" Stoick asked.

"Adopted, yes. Mari and Henrik are my adopted parents. Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen are my adopted siblings," Hiccup nodded as he saw Stoick staring at the picture intently. "Around here, your family is not always defined by the people who share the same bloodline. That's something Henrik taught me when I asked him why he wanted to make me part of his family when I'm not related to any of them," Stoick looked at Hiccup now.

"Blood makes you related. Loyalty makes you family. Sometimes blood isn't thicker than water and family will cross you quicker than a stranger will," Stoick looked guilty now. "Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are, and support you in the things you choose to do. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and love you no matter what," Hiccup finished. "And I will hear nothing more about this because I can see where it's gonna go; that's not a fight you want to have with me because you will lose. So if I were you, I would drop it whatever it is you're thinking of saying," he added a little coldly.

Nobody said anything.

Hiccup took the picture and put it back with a bunch of others. "Now, it's time to get to work; they aren't paying me to tell you about my life," he stated. "I'm gonna say something in Danish, and I want you to try and repeat it in Danish to best of your ability. Understand?" they nodded. "Try…Hi, how are you today?"

 **. . .**

 ** _[1:30 pm]_**

Hiccup worked with the Vikings on their speech and writing for hours, minus the break for cooking and lunch to be served. Hiccup made chicken noodle soup with carrots and celery because it was easy to do and fed a lot of people. Once all that was done and cleaned up; Hiccup decided it was time to get them familiarized with common household things.

"You all did very well with Danish for the first day. It gets easier the more you use it, so try to do that while here," Hiccup informed while wiping his hands with a dishtowel.

"What's next?" Dagur inquired.

"I'm going to show you about all the things you'll find in a modern home. Since we're in the living room; I'll start here. So, pretty basic. A lot of seating, tables, a fireplace, television, DVD and VHS player, radio/CD player. Most people hang pictures to show memories of their lives, big events…Like when I got married; I've pictures of Liv and me all over the walls and stuff. I also have it on tape; the wedding and whatnot," Hiccup explained.

"I get places to sit and tables, pictures, even the fireplace…But what is everything else?" Viggo asked.

"Okay…For TV, it stands for television. And it's an object used for transmitting, which is sending from one place to another, visual images and sound. The purpose of this is solely entertaining others so they can watch something and learn or get a laugh out of it," Hiccup grabbed the remote and flipped the TV on. "Say…I wanted to learn about…I don't know…Sharks," he continued while pressing a few things and the picture on the TV changed to reveal an underwater shot of sharks swimming or eating.

"That's insane…Aren't the people so close to them afraid? How can they stay under so long?" Gobber questioned.

"Air tanks which provide air through a mouthpiece so people can stay under longer. And most people use a diving cage; made of metal and humans can stand in it and be safe from sharks. I'll tell you more about all that on another day," Hiccup stated. "Alright, so that's TV. Uh, DVD and VHS player…Best way to do that is to show you," Hiccup left a moment and came back with something on his hand; it was silver and had some kind of lens. "This is a video camera, it records things and saves them on a tape, which looks like this," he held up a small black tape. "Now smile and wave right here," he pointed to the lens.

Confused, the Vikings did so as Hiccup stopped the recording and then hooked the camera up to the TV with what looked like a black rope with metal on it. Hiccup rewound the tape and then hit play as the Vikings were able to see themselves on the TV screen, waving and smiling as they had moments ago. "A video camera basically records a memory and lets you play it back. For another example of that," he unplugged the camera and set it down while searching for something else on a shelf of the TV stand. "Aha! There it is," he pulled it out.

"This is the tape from the day Liv, and I got married 2 years ago," Hiccup showed them as he placed the object in a slot and the machine took it in instantly as a few sounds were heard, then an image popped up on the screen. It was Hiccup and Olivia standing across from one another exchanging rings and saying vows to love one another until death do they part. Olivia wore a dress of all white and Hiccup stood in a suit of black with a white tie and shirt under a black jacket. The man pronounced them husband and wife as they two kissed.

"So…This we see now, happened 2 years ago?" Gobber arched a brow.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded before stopping the tape and putting it back where it belonged. "Pretty cool, right? Regular cameras take still shots, but video camera lets you see things real no matter how much time has passed. A normal camera is like…Drawing a picture only you get color and much better quality. I'll show you," Hiccup got his phone out and stepped back as he turned the back of it to face them. "Look this way and do something stupid. Thumbs up, stick your tongue out, whatever you want," Again, they just did it as Hiccup took the picture and then turned the screen around so they could see themselves not moving this time, but doing whatever they had when Hiccup told them to. "Another way to see your memories; these ones don't move though," he explained.

"And what is this _radio_ you mentioned?" Viggo inquired.

"A radio is just like a TV, but with nothing to see, only hear. It's mainly used for music…You know how you can sing and hear music played at little parties or whatever?"

"Yes," a few responded.

"Well, a radio plays music that other people sing. Out here, people make jobs out of singing if they sing really good. So these people sing a song they write about whatever…Take Snoggletog for example. Around here, it's called Christmas, and we have songs to celebrate the holiday. The people who made these songs sing with music played at the same time. It gets recorded, like with how I took the video of you guys. Only it just records sound and people set it to play in a random mix of other songs. When the radio is on; you hear the music and singing," Hiccup tried to explain the best he could.

"Can you show us?" Astrid tried.

"Alright, but it won't be Christmas related. Not yet at least, that happens next month. Right now; it just plays random songs. And they are literally about anything. You name a topic, and there's probably a song about it somewhere," Hiccup said while moving to the radio.

"Uh…How about someone falling in love?" Vera suggested.

"Oh, Gods; it's endless…That's like the number one type of song out there. Most people use them as wedding songs," Hiccup chuckled.

"Including you?" Heather asked.

"It's kind of a tradition around these parts, so yes. At weddings; the couple to be married picks one song that best describes their relationship and feelings for one another. At the wedding, after vows are said, and rings exchanged; they dance to it in front of everyone," Hiccup informed.

"Rings exchanged?" Viggo arched a brow.

"Oh, right, you have betrothal gifts and vows, but not rings. Out here, couples get engaged by the man asking the woman to be his wife with a gold or silver ring that has jewels fixed at the top; the man doesn't get a gift in return. When the two marry; they say vows to one another, then wear rings as the forever symbol of their love. The man and woman both get one. This is mine," Hiccup slid his off his left hand and let them see it.

"It's just a metal circle," Gobber blinked.

"Yes, but to a married couple; it's the symbol of their vows and love to one another. When Olivia put that on my finger 2 years ago, she said-," Hiccup began.

"Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is never-ending. With this ring, I take you to be my partner for life. I offer you my heart, my hand, and my love. With all that I am…With all that I have…I will honor you as my husband forevermore," came Olivia's voice as Hiccup turned to look at her while she lightly took the ring from Gobber, who was at the end of the line of people to see it; then she faced Hiccup and slid it back in place on his finger.

"As I will honor you as my wife forever more with all that I have and all that I am," Hiccup smiled as Olivia leaned up and kissed him. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing home so early? I thought you had work until 4?" he asked.

"Morning sickness is kicking my ass…So they sent me home," Olivia admitted.

"Hot bath? I'll start it for you," Hiccup offered.

"Nah. It's not so bad right now, but is that our wedding song I hear starting?" Olivia asked.

"Yes, I was showing them how music through a radio or TV works, and we got on the subject of people using songs in their weddings," Hiccup shrugged.

"Well, in that case…Dance with me," Olivia smiled.

"As you wish, Milady," Hiccup offered a bow while Olivia giggled and took Hiccup's offered hand to her. Hiccup brought her in close with his arm around her waist. Olivia's hand was on Hiccup's shoulder then their other hands were out and connected while slowly beginning to move in a circle while swaying. **(The song implied there was "At The Beginning" from the movie, Anastasia.)**

The Vikings thought the song was nice, and it was interesting to see how these modern things worked. However, the shocking thing they got to see was Hiccup and Olivia dancing as if no one else were around. The two were entirely wrapped up in one another, smiling, sharing small kisses. At the end, Hiccup dipped her low and brought her back up against him.

"I love you," Olivia said.

"I love you more," Hiccup replied as he kissed her.

"Want to take a break with your students and come to _relax_ with me in the room?" Olivia hinted.

"How about we skip the break, and you can have me all night, uninterrupted," Hiccup smiled at her.

"I'll hold you to that, soldier boy," Olivia kissed him again before breaking away and heading into the bedroom. Hiccup only chuckled a little as Olivia winked at him and disappeared behind the door.

"What was that all about?" Stoick wondered.

"Nothing you need to worry about, old man," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup…" Stoick started.

"What? It's none of your business," Hiccup remarked.

"I'm your father; I want to know. As a married man myself, I know-," Stoick started.

"You know nothing," Hiccup said coldly taking them by surprise. "You aren't married anymore because your wife, my mother, was carried off by a dragon," he scoffed. Olivia came out now, worried about Hiccup. She knew that tone all too well; it was Hiccup's _I'm getting pissed off and going to put you in your place_ voice. "I warned you once, do not use this borrowed time to try and be a father concerned about his son now. Don't try to care or take an interest in my life now…"

"Babe…Babe," Olivia grabbed his arm as Hiccup faced her. "Hey…It's alright. Come on. Come with me and take a little break. Don't do this…" she pulled at his hand to follow her. Hiccup kept his eyes on her as he moved towards the bedroom and both of them entered, and the door closed tightly. In the silence, all they heard was Olivia tell Hiccup, "Easy, babe. I know its frustrating…Deep breaths, lay down, relax a little. Let me take your mind off it," the only thing heard after that was kissing. All the Vikings could do is sit and wait for Hiccup to come back to continue their modern world lessons, but Odin only knew how long it would take.


	14. Modern Lessons Pt 2

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Modern Lessons Pt. 2

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Saturday, 11/11/2017-3 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

The Vikings couldn't do anything while Hiccup was in his bedroom with his wife. Finally, the door opened Olivia came out; her hair was a little messed up, and her clothes were not what she was wearing when she entered the bedroom with Hiccup. Olivia was wearing a long t-shirt, probably Hiccup's, and a lot of her legs showed, but she was wearing what looking like a pair of short shorts under the shirt. Olivia giggled with a smile.

"You sure you're relaxed, babe?" Olivia asked him from the doorframe.

"I'm good now," Hiccup's voice was heard.

"Alright. These guys are good out here, just finish getting dressed while I run out to grab stuff for dinner tonight. You remember we have your family coming over, right? And a few of the others?" Olivia asked.

"I haven't forgotten," Hiccup said. "Love you,"

"Love you too!" Olivia prepared to leave.

"Wait a second. LIV! Get back in here and put real pants on!" Hiccup yelled as he rushed to the edge of the bedroom where the door was while being in the midst of pulling up his pants, buttoning, and dragging up the zipper.

"Oops…" Olivia walked back in before leaving the house. Hiccup shook his head at her as she blushed a little. Seconds later, she returned wearing jeans and the same shirt on. "Okay, now I'm going," she kissed him on her way by. The door shut as Hiccup walked into the living room, Toothless instantly greeted him with a warbled.

"Hi, bud," Hiccup smiled as he pressed his forehead to Toothless's. "Yes, I promise we'll go flying in a little bit," Toothless licked his face. "I love you too," he scratched under Toothless's chin, earning a warble. "Damn it; she took my shirt…" Hiccup moved back into his room and came out pulling on green long-sleeve.

"Your style doesn't change much, does it, lad?" Gobber asked. Hiccup looked at himself.

"Nope, not really. Let's get back to work," Hiccup stated. "We did everything in the living room; I guess kitchen is next. Follow me," he led them over into the large kitchen and had them find places to sit or stand to get a good view. "Everything in here is used for storing food, prepping, and cooking it," he began. "You've got your microwave, oven, and stove, sink with running water, dishwasher, refrigerator, and freezer, counter space, pots, pans, spoons forks; just everything,"

"A lot of that stuff sounds like what we use," Vera mentioned.

"It is, actually. A lot of it is just made differently," Hiccup replied. From there, Hiccup began to explain all the appliances used in the kitchen. What each one was, what it did, and the easiest explanation he could think of on how it worked. When the kitchen part was over, Hiccup showed them other spaces in the house like his art room, the workout space, some of the spare rooms that were just storage right now, the bathroom was an interesting show they'd finally gotten to. Hiccup gave them a brief rundown the night before, but none of them had actually used it despite it being all day.

"So this is the…Bathroom, right?" Snotlout asked.

"Yep, and it's just a place to shower, bathe, and relieve yourself. Pretty simple," Hiccup moved inside. "There's the toilet, sink, and shower/tub. The toilet is used to relieve yourself, not all the different from back home as far as, you know; standing, aiming, or sitting. Uh, toilet paper to wipe with, and then you just push this little lever down, and the toilet does the rest by flushing it away. Sink for washing hands, shaving, brushing your teeth. And shower/tub for bathing," he explained.

"Where do we boil the water?" Fishlegs asked.

"Hah, I asked the same question. You don't need to boil it; the water heats itself," Hiccup stated as he opened the curtain and showed them everything inside. "Alright, water comes out up here, and down here. These are the controls for it. Left side is hot water, and right is cold. You'll have to fiddle with both to get an even temperature. If you're bathing; just put this plug in down here on the drain. If you want a shower, which is a million times faster; pull this piece on the spout down here and pull it upward. The water will come out from up here and fall as rain does," he informed.

"Really?" a few blinked.

"Yeah. I'll show you," Hiccup turned the handles to get the water running, then let them come over to feel as it went from cold to hot, then moving the handles to certain spots would change it to a comfortable bathing temperature. "And then pull this," he did so as the water came out from above. "And that's it. Then you use the soap and shampoo to wash with. One is for hair, and the other, your body," he lifted both things to show them the difference. "Of course, you're welcome to use the bar of soap," he showed them where that was. "I keep the towels in here," he added motioning to the small shelving unit by the shower.

"This is awesome," Tuffnut stated. Hiccup led them out and walked into his room.

"And this is mine and Olivia's room," Hiccup said. "Bed, nightstands, dresser, closet. Pretty basic,"

"Why does the bed look like you got into a fight with it?" Snotlout decided to ask.

"Never made it after I woke up this morning. Olivia moves around a lot," Hiccup shrugged, not revealing that the reason it looked that way was that he and Olivia just had sex in it; her way of distracting him before he flipped out on Stoick. Hiccup moved inside and fixed the comforter and pillows. Hiccup pushed them out afterward and closed the door. "And…that's about it," he looked at them.

"It's confusing, new…But interesting," Viggo enlightened.

"Once you start using these things daily; it's less confusing," Hiccup assured.

"It seems easy enough to manage, with more practice," Vera said.

"Oh! Forgot the backyard!" Hiccup motioned for them to follow him. Getting past all their bunks; he opened the garage door and showed them everything outside. "Outdoor kitchen, tables, chairs, lawn, pool, hot tub," he pointed to each thing.

"Pool and hot tub?" Astrid stared.

"Used for swimming and hot tub for relaxing. Heat does wonders on relaxing sore muscles," Hiccup explained.

"Why is it covered?" Gobber inquired.

"Because it's winter now, and too cold to swim. I open it up around…May-ish," Hiccup said.

"And that is your…5th month of the 12-month year, right?" Astrid asked.

"Right," Hiccup nodded. Hiccup remembered now that he taught them months, how many days in each, and seasons earlier that morning. Years was still a work in progress, but Hiccup had told them that the next year to come in January would be 2018, then so on and so forth.

"You said on Berk that our kind was believed to be wiped out 951 years ago, didn't you?" Fishlegs inquired. Hiccup nodded. "Why is it said that we died out?"

"The Viking Age in history was said to be from the year 763 to 1066. We're in the 21st century now, and Vikings were from the late 8th to the mid 11th. So yeah, not a lot of people believed actual Vikings still existed. Most of them, like our ancestors or whatever and like me, integrated into the world around them. I came in wicked late, but hey; it's part of life as I said. Moving forward with it or you get forgotten, but at the same time; it's good to know about the past. My knowledge of dragons and Vikings helped the modern world learn more about them as they knew nothing," Hiccup stated while bringing them back inside and closing the door.

"So, anything else we should know today?" Ruffnut wondered.

"That's all for today; I don't want to overload you. Tomorrow or maybe the day after; I'll start having you try to use these modern things on your own with supervision," Hiccup sat on the couch now and flipped the TV on, browsing the channels.

"What's happening tonight?" Vera asked.

"Hm? Oh, just a couple friends and family coming over to celebrate being home. You'll get to meet everyone formally tonight," Hiccup said. "Just have a seat and relax for now. You don't have to be so tense, trust me…There's far less work involved here than you had back on the islands,"

"Is everything okay back home?" Astrid asked softly.

"Everything is fine, Astrid. I know its hard to trust outsiders who wield weapons you've never seen, but you can trust my word when I say that the men and women of the army, navy, and air force will not let any harm come to the Tribes. Relax a little; you'll adjust just as I did, and soon you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. Life will be easier for you, a way to truly live in peace with others and dragons," Hiccup sat back with his arm behind his head and legs out on the leg rest. Feeling that they couldn't argue much; they found spots and sat down.

 **. . .**

 ** _[5 pm]_**

Hiccup managed to fall asleep in the chair, and the others left him alone. However, there was knocking on the door as Hiccup sat up quickly, looking around and trying to catch his breath. Toothless nuzzled him a little.

"I'm good…I'm alright. Thanks, Toothless," Hiccup took a few deep breaths to calm down. "Come in!" he called. The door opened as Hiccup stood up and saw Mari and Henrik come in with broad smiles.

"HICCUP!" Britta squealed loudly as she charged in and hugged Hiccup tightly. Hiccup caught her, then Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen were right behind to join in on the hug.

"You're home! You're home!" Lilly jumped up and down.

"Mom and Dad said we were coming here to help Liv with something. We didn't know it was because you were home!" Hagen cheered.

"I've missed you guys so much," Hiccup hugged them. "I'm glad you could home,"

"Miss a welcoming home party for our eldest son, no way," Mari wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I'm so glad you're home safely,"

"Hey, come on. I'm always alright," Hiccup chuckled.

"Nevermind! You've been shot twice and stabbed a few times too!" Mari scolded as she gripped his arm and Hiccup winced a little. "Are you hurt?"

"N-No…" Hiccup said quickly. Mari stared him down as Henrik chuckled.

"She knows you better than that, son," Henrik reminded. Hiccup sighed as he rolled up the sleeve and showed Mari his wrapped arm.

"What happened this time!" Mari asked quickly.

"You can add one more to the number of times I've been shot…" Hiccup mumbled.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third-Anderson!" Mari scolded. The Vikings blinked a bit at the woman called Hiccup by his full name, and the added on Anderson part.

"Ouch…Full name," Britta cringed. "And that's how we know when mom is mad and one of us is in serious trouble," she snickered with her siblings.

"Not helping, sis…" Hiccup glared at her and looked at Mari. "It was a surprise attack, Mom…I'm okay. It was only a graze; I didn't even need stitches…" he assured.

"I don't want to be the parent who gets a chaplain and notification officer at my door telling my son was killed overseas…I don't want to lose you…" Mari looked down sadly.

"Mom…Mom, come on…Don't cry. I'm alright…" Hiccup tried. "Dad, help…"

"You know how she is, son. Unfortunately, you've been shot three times…And the one before this…You almost didn't survive. Your mother was a wreck…Colden told us that had it not been for Brynjar keeping you awake and holding pressure on the wound; you might have died. It was too close for comfort, and that's coming from someone who had been in the army himself since he was eighteen as well. I've seen my fair share of buddies lost, but nothing comes close to hearing your son almost dying," Henrik stated gently.

This was news to Stoick and the others. Had hiccup already nearly died from being shot? "Mom…I promise that I'm alright. It's just part of the risk…And I knew that when I joined. And hey…I'm home now. Safe and sound," Hiccup attempted to calm her down.

"Hiccup…I swear to God…I know I can't stop you, but please…Be careful. I don't know if I could bear losing you," Mari hugged him again. Hiccup returned it, and then they split.

"Even if I die, Mom…I did it protecting the people who mean the most to me," Hiccup told her and Mari hugged him tighter.

"Alright…Come on, Mar…Let the boy breathe, or you'll kill him by suffocation," Henrik advised. Mari finally let go and wiped her eyes. Henrik hugged Hiccup next. "It's good to have you home, son,"

"Sibling tackle!" the 4 Anderson kids announced.

"Ut-oh…" Hiccup saw them grinning; they charged as Hiccup took his stance and then felt the full force of Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen tackle him to the floor laughing. "Getting too old for that…" he winced a little.

"Man down! Hang on, Hic; I got back up!" yelled a new voice. Hiccup looked over to the door to see Brynjar, and he laughed a little. "Strike Unit! Save your leader!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!" 5 males charged in and playfully removed the children from Hiccup; then Brynjar helped him up.

"Mission successful! Well done, boys," Brynjar said.

"I friggin love you guys," Hiccup said afterward. "Good to know you got my back," he added.

"We got all of ya, boss," one of the males chuckled.

"No, I got all of him," Olivia's voice stated.

"She's got you guys there; nobody does to me what she does," Hiccup reminded.

"You mean to throw you on the bed and rape you?" Brynjar smirked.

"Oh, fuck you…I'll have you know that I do a good portion of the fucking in the bedroom," Hiccup glared. "And you can't rape the willing,"

"Yeah, he does. Amazing every time and always fully satisfying," Olivia said from the kitchen. Hiccup grinned now with his arms over his chest. The Vikings blinked a few times.

"Okay, I've heard way too much about my brother's sex life!" Britta covered her ears.

"Alright, that's enough; there are still young children around," Mari remarked.

"Sorry, Mom; we're just playing…" Hiccup replied.

"Sorry, Mrs. Anderson," the 6 males bowed their heads respectfully.

"Bryn, where's your sister?" Hiccup asked.

"She's not feeling well tonight, so she said she'll catch up with you another time. But…I did bring someone who has been itching to see you," Brynjar smiled. Hiccup looked at the door and saw a little girl peering around the corner. "Come on, Princess," Brynjar told her.

"Unka Hiccup!" the girl cried out happily as she rushed in and right into Hiccup's arms.

"Oh, there's my girl!" Hiccup embraced her tightly. "I've missed you so much,"

"I missed you too, Unka. Are you going away again?" the girl inquired.

"Hopefully not; I'd like to be here for when you turn 5," Hiccup smiled as the girl grabbed his cheeks and kissed his nose, then she and Hiccup nuzzled their noses together.

"Who dey?" the girl asked looking at the Vikings.

"People I'm protecting as I do for you, and my family," Hiccup said softly.

" **Is she your daughter?"** Stoick asked. Hiccup blinked a few times.

" **Okay…I really didn't think I'd need to explain this…But if she's calling me Uncle…Am I her father?"** Hiccup asked. Henrik covered his mouth to keep from laughing out.

" **Good one, son,"** Henrik stated.

"I guess I should get introductions out of the way first…" Hiccup sighed as he put the child on his left hip. "First off…This is Dagny Jakobsen; she is one of my best friend's daughters, but we're so close that she considers me an uncle," he enlightened. "As for everyone else…" he took a breath. "My family; Henrik and Mari Anderson with their 4 children, Britta, Lukas, Lilly, and Hagen. You all know Olivia, my wife, already. Down the line here are damn good friends I'm in the army with. Brynjar Holt is not only my friend but one of my commanding officers. This means he can tell me what to do when we're working,"

"Not that you listen," Brynjar remarked.

"Well, of course not. It'd be too easy. Also, Brynjar is Dagny's real uncle. Katja and her boyfriend are home because Kat is pregnant and not feeling well," Hiccup chuckled as Brynjar shrugged, agreeing. "And finally, the team that I lead; Jolgeir Tennfjord, Davyn Lund, Sigvard Rasmussen, Eirik Matheson, and Oivind Flinvor," he continued.

"And these are the Vikings?" Oivind asked.

"Chief Viggo Grimborn and his niece Vera Grimborn of the Dragon Hunter Tribe. Heather and Dagur Bazirk, siblings of the Berserkers. And finally, the 9 from Berk are Astrid Hofferson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Snotlout Jorgenson, also my cousin. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston. Gobber Forger, the blacksmith, and my former mentor. Lastly…Stoick, Valda, and Halvor Haddock…" Hiccup finished the final three quietly.

"W-Wait…Haddock?" Sigvard blinked.

"Yep…" Hiccup replied.

"Dude, that's," Eirik began.

"Please don't make it a big deal…" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, my Gods…" Davyn continued.

"Stop…Please," Hiccup tried again.

"Hic…Are those three…Your family? Like…Actual family?" Oivind said.

Hiccup groaned. "Yes, fine…They are. Stoick is my father…And the twins with him are my…Half brother and sister, born January 11th, 2013 and meant to replace me as Heirs since I left 8 years ago and was assumed dead,"

"Heir?" Brynjar asked. "Wait, you mean like Heir of the Tribe because your dad is Chief? And you're alive, so that makes you…"

"For the love of Odin…Please don't say it," Hiccup begged.

"It immediately returns him to-," Eirik started.

"It does nothing!" Hiccup yelled. "It does absolutely nothing, guys. And do you know why? Because that law only goes into effect if I choose to return to the Tribe. I left and said I'd never go back, and god damn it…I meant it,"

"But…Hiccup," Astrid began, attempting to speak Danish. No, Hiccup was not dealing with this.

"But nothing, Astrid. Why should I go back? Just because you realize 8 years later that I did in fact survive? That I'm not a weak, worthless, runt? Why in the name of Odin would I want to return to a bunch of people who said I wasn't a Viking in the first place? Rule over people who never believed I could even do it? What? Has everyone finally seen that I'm not Hiccup the Useless? And yet…The Tribes are supposed to stand together, help and protect one another. Who the hell was helping me when I needed it? Who protected me when I got teased and beat up every day? I'll tell you who…NONE OF YOU! The only person I had on my side was Toothless, my best friend. And the worst part is that he's a dragon!" Hiccup raged as he put Dagny down and she ran over to Brynjar quickly. "Do you have any idea how that feels? To spend every day getting beaten and told you're a disappointing weakling? That you don't belong? No, you don't because none of you had to live the way I did," Hiccup informed.

"This is the last time I will tell you. Get it through your thick heads…I refuse to be Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. I refuse to live on Berk again. I'm not a Viking. I never was, and I never want to be. My self-exile stands. I will never go back to a bunch of people who made me feel so low that I wanted to die to get away from it all. Thankfully, instead of ending my own life; I met Toothless and he saved my life. He became my only friend, and we were able to leave together. This is my home now, and this is my family. As I told you earlier when you were well warned not to start this argument with me because you would lose…Blood makes you related. Loyalty makes you family." Hiccup walked away.

Hiccup whistled as he opened the back door, jumped on Toothless's back, and the two took off into the sky. "Someone with a dragon go after him…Please?" Olivia asked. "I-I never knew he felt like that all those years ago, and he's been suffering flashbacks from the war about losing friends…"

"I didn't know about this either; I'll go after him," Henrik said as he whistled for his Nightmare who appeared around back. Henrik jumped on the dragon's back and headed after Hiccup.

"Should we wait?" Jolgeir asked Brynjar.

"Yes. I think Hiccup needs us right now," Brynjar nodded. The Vikings didn't know what to say or do; Hiccup had never gone off like that before, and they could see that he really had no desire to come back to the Archipelago at all. And worse, they knew now how low he felt before meeting Toothless. Sadly, they knew there was nothing they could do now. Hiccup didn't want to see or speak with them, so it was best to let the others who knew Hiccup better try to calm him down. This was just another modern lesson for them; they hurt Hiccup bad and doubted now that there was anything they could do to fix things.


	15. Night Of Family And Friends

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Night Of Friends & Family

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Saturday, 11/11/2017-7 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark-Charlie's Bar]_

I didn't know how far or fast I had Toothless go, but I wanted to get out of there as soon as I was able. I never meant to snap; I always have a lid on my temper. I don't know where it came from, but I just lost it on them tonight. I know I almost did when Olivia came home, but she pulled me off to the side and had me relax. But with everyone over…I don't know what happened; I just couldn't hold it in, and I flipped out. Somehow…I've ended up at the bar and a few drinks in; I want to say I showed up around 6 pm. I've had two shots and a beer; I wasn't even buzzed yet.

"What can I get you, my friend?" I heard the bartender say as I took another drink from my glass.

"Nothing for me, thanks," the man behind me replied, and I knew that voice. "I'm just here for my son," he added. Yeah, I knew who was here; my father, Henrik.

"How'd I figure you'd come looking for me?" I asked when I saw Henrik sit down beside me.

"I'd like to think that I know you pretty well since you turned 21 and became legal to drink; you come to the bar whenever you're upset or mad," Henrik stated. I gave a half-chuckle and finished my drink. "Talk to me, son. You've been very short lately, and I know you don't anger easily. What's wrong?"

"I've been sitting here trying to figure it out. I know I don't fly off the handle like that easy…But Gods, Dad; them being around…I just can't hold my tongue when they suddenly get all friendly and shit," I pushed my cup forward and folded my arms on the bar top.

"Because you never told them how they made you feel back then, Hiccup. You met Toothless and left a few weeks later. You haven't seen them in almost 8 years, and now, they're back in your life for whatever reason there is. You're trying to keep the past behind you, and unfortunately, my boy; you can't. Not when you harbored these feelings of animosity towards them for this long. You voiced tonight what you wanted them to know years ago; you wanted them to know how much they hurt you. Hiccup, not even I knew you felt low enough to want to kill yourself until tonight; you have everyone scared," Henrik stated gently.

"The day I met Toothless, everything changed. I finally had a friend, and the saddest part is that he's a dragon. How is it a dragon showed me more kindness, understanding, and acceptance than the humans in my Tribe?" I sighed closing my eyes now. "When Toothless healed from his injuries, and we went flying…I realized I could get away from everything with him, by flying instead of ending my life,"

"But son, you can't outrun your past. No matter where you go or what you do; it will always be there in some form or another. Your past makes you who you are now; it's part of you. Regardless of the reason behind you ending up there again, and now all this happening; it still happened. Everything that happens happens for a reason. It doesn't matter if it was orders or not, things still happened this way, and you can't change it. You exploded on them because everything is piling up and they, at one time, were the biggest source of pain to you," Henrik continued.

"Now, you just came home from war; I know you're having a little trouble adjusting; Olivia mentioned you having flashbacks. For everything else, things will calm down with time. For now; just keep living your life the way you do. And as far as the Vikings go…It's just another mission; we'll call it that. So do what you have to do, and when it's over; you won't have to worry about it again," Henrik put his hand on my shoulder and shook me a little. "Everything is going to be alright. Come on, let's get back to your house and finish celebrating. You got all that anger out of your system, so now we can return and have fun. A couple of drinks, food, friends, family…It'll be a good time,"

"Alright…" I sighed as I paid for my drinks and got up with Henrik; then we headed for the exit. Getting outside and to our dragons.

"And son, one more thing…If you're suffering flashbacks from war, don't keep those kinds of things to yourself. Find someone to talk to, Hiccup. Otherwise, it's just going to destroy you from the inside. It doesn't matter who you talk to either, me, someone at work, but don't hold in the things you've seen, done, or the friends you've lost. Okay?" Henrik said while getting on Firewing; his Monstrous Nightmare.

"I'll…Keep that in mind," I replied as I got on Toothless and we headed back to Dragor.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_ _  
_ ** _[7:25 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Residence]_

Mari got an alert on her phone as she quickly put a hand on her heart, relieved.

"Henrik found him; they're on their way back now," Mari informed.

"Where was he?" Brynjar inquired.

"At the bar," Mari frowned. "Henrik also mentioned just to act cool,"

"Hey, we're celebrating the soldiers being home. We'll give him a warm welcome!" Britta informed as she smiled with her sister and two brothers.

"Well said, Britta," Olivia nodded. Seconds later, there was a thud in the backyard before Henrik walked in and then Hiccup and Toothless behind. Hiccup cast a quick glance at the Vikings; then averted his eyes to the others. Olivia went right to his side and kissed him deeply, and Hiccup returned it entirely.

"Aw!" Mari, Lilly, and Britta swooned.

"So, son…Now that you're home…When are you giving me a grandchild?" Mari inquired.

"Oh, shit…That's right. I forgot to tell you…" Hiccup broke the kiss and looked at them. "Liv is pregnant,"

"WHAT?!" his friends and family exclaimed.

"I got pregnant when Hiccup was home on leave…I'm almost 3 months along," Olivia confirmed with a smile.

"YAY!" Mari squealed as she hugged Hiccup tightly, then Olivia. "This is wonderful news!" she exclaimed.

"Really, big brother? I'm gonna be an auntie?" Britta asked.

"Yep. You and Lilly will be aunts. Hagen and Lukas will be uncles," Hiccup nodded with a smile.

"This calls for a celebratory drink! Except for the kids, and Olivia," Brynjar called.

"Good thing we brought the alcohol," Davyn snickered a little as each of the guys brought out a bottle of liquor. Brynjar held up a 30-pack of beer.

"Oh, man…This is gonna be a dangerous night," Henrik paled. The Vikings weren't sure what was going on, what Hiccup's friends had, or what Henrik meant by it was going to be a dangerous night. At the same time; they were very curious, but didn't want to set Hiccup off again. Hiccup went to go get a few short cups made of what Hiccup told them before was glass.

"Mom, Dad; you in?" Hiccup asked.

"We'll pass, son," Mari stated. "You boys have fun," Hiccup shrugged as he set the glasses up in a line on the table of the living room.

"Pick your poison, Hic," Brynjar told him. "Your house, you get the first choice,"

"You guys know my favorite, or at least you should by now," Hiccup told them.

"Get the Fireball," Oivind said. Jolgeir handed it over as Brynjar poured the liquid in each of the glasses. The males grabbed one to hold and held them up.

"Alright. Here's to the battles we've won; the ones we still fight. Here's to the friends here tonight and the brave ones who can't be with us. Here's to being home…And our boy Hiccup about to become a father. Here's to everything we've done, and all that we'll still do!" Brynjar announced.

"To everything we've done and all we'll do!" Hiccup and the other 5 said as they tapped their glasses together lightly before drinking them back in one shot. The 7 of them laughed putting the cups down and connecting hands and hugging.

"Alright, Hiccup…Come on; we gotta do it," Sigvard told him.

Hiccup blinked a few times. "Do what?"

"Our song," Davyn chuckled.

"Oh, really? Fine," Hiccup said as he moved to turn on the music. **(Song played was "The Warrior Song" by Sean Householder.)** By the end, the guys were laughing it up and poured another drink, this time it was something called _Jack Daniels_. The 7 took their drink and sat around to relax with the music still going, just softer now. Hiccup looked over to the Vikings; he saw them just sitting in the back on their beds. "God damn it…" Hiccup got up and walked over towards them. "Come on,"

"Where are we going?" Viggo asked.

"Into the living room. It's a party, so stop sulking about what happened and join us. I may not particularly like some of you or this situation, but I'm not heartless. Besides, think of it as another lesson for you; this is how we have a good time," Hiccup said. Slowly; the Vikings got up and followed Hiccup over to the rest of them.

"What is that stuff you keep drinking?" Gobber decided to question.

"What stuff? In the cans or the glasses?" Hiccup sat down as the rest of the Vikings did as well.

"Both?" Gobber wondered.

Hiccup held up a can. "This is beer, something like what you drink back on your islands," then Hiccup showed the bottles of alcohol. "These are used for quick shots or mixing with something else to make a stronger drink,"

"They have strange names," Snotlout pointed out.

"Name doesn't matter when the goal is to drink until you drop," Eirik mentioned.

"Drop?" Dagur arched a brow.

"Ever had too much to drink, fall asleep, but wake up the next morning have no idea what happened the night before?" Brynjar looked at them.

"Vikings don't drink that much, Bryn. Yes, beer or mead all the time, but really just to catch a buzz. I would know; it's not that potent. Maybe 14%," Hiccup stated. "And kids had less than that,"

"How would you know? You just turned 21 in February this year," Mari blinked.

"As young as 12, Viking children are allowed to drink. Not a lot, but until they hit a point where they start getting tired. Like I said, buzzed," Hiccup shrugged. "Adults were the same; it just took them a little longer,"

"Ah," the others nodded, understanding.

"Look, all you need to know about these kinds of drinks is that they are stronger than what you had and if you drink too much; you will be on your ass, passed out, and wake up tomorrow morning having no clue what happened the night before," Hiccup explained.

"You've done this?" Astrid questioned.

"Out here, when you turn 21 it's a right of passage," Jolgier said. "The goal is to get as drunk as possible and have a good time; then forever question what happened and no one will ever tell you if you made a fool of yourself by doing something stupid. You just get to hear people cracking jokes about it,"

"Hic, you know the only way their gonna see the difference is if you let them try it," Oivind stated.

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea…" Hiccup informed. "They aren't ready for that level of modern yet,"

"Oh, come on, lad. You know old Gobber can handle his alcohol," Gobber huffed.

"Probably only you," Hiccup said as he grabbed a spare shot class and poured Gobber a shot. "This is called Fireball Whiskey. It's 33% alcohol and has a bit of a burn going down; hence the name _fireball_ ," Hiccup handed it to him carefully.

"Just down in one shot?" Gobber asked.

"That's why it's called a shot, yes," Hiccup nodded. Gobber sucked it back and made a weird face after swallowing.

"How is it, Gobber?" Stoick inquired.

"Beard of Thor…That packs a punch…" Gobber blinked a few times. "You drink this for fun?!"

"Oh, yeah. It has a bad time written all over it," Brynjar chuckled. "And yet, it's Hiccup's favorite,"

"If you think that had a punch, imagine what a full shot would have been for you," Henrik informed.

"I mean, it would take some getting used to…But I could drink it every now and then," Gobber shrugged.

"Here," Hiccup handed him a beer and cracked the top open. "This might be more your style," Gobber took a sip off it and nodded.

"Yep, that tastes like home. And maybe better because its cold," Gobber remarked.

"Hic, let them have a few. I got another pack in the fridge already," Brynjar said sliding the remainder of the box of beers towards him. Hiccup started grabbing cans and passing them out, then showed them how to open a can.

"So, this is fun for you?" Vera asked. "Just sitting around drinking with music?"

"It's not about the drinking; it's just the time with family and friends. Music provides ambiance, drinking loosens everyone up, and then we just sit around laughing, talking, cracking jokes," Hiccup explained. "In the Summer; we usually sit outside with a fire going and do the same thing. Contrary to popular belief, life is not always about work and being serious. You gotta be able to have fun too,"

 **. . .**

 ** _[9:30 pm]_**

Hours later of just relaxing, drinking, and snacking; the tension from when Hiccup flipped out seemed to fade away, and everyone was having a decent time. The Vikings still didn't overstep any boundaries because they knew Hiccup was with his friends and adoptive family. Also, each of them only had one beer. Hiccup gave in around 8:30 and let them each have a shot of the weakest alcohol in the choices available to pick from. The only 3 who didn't get anything except milk or juice was Dagny, Valda, and Halvor. Hiccup, though, between his 1 shot and a beer at the bar what he had at home, which was another 4 shots, 3 beers; he was drunk, but still able to do most everything normal. And so were his friends. But overall; it was a good time with laughing and hanging out. Honestly, it was the happiest the Vikings had ever seen Hiccup behaving in a large group of others.

"Hey, I gotta get Dagny home, bro," Brynjar stood up and lifted Dagny into his arms; she yawned tiredly.

"See ya around, my friend," Hiccup shook his hand and kissed Dagny's cheek before Brynjar left.

"I think we're gonna go as well, son," Henrik stated. Hiccup said goodbye to his adoptive family next as they left. Now, it only left Olivia, Hiccup, the 5 males on his team, and the Vikings.

"Alright, the boss and parents are gone…" Sigvard grinned.

"Now, it's time to party," Hiccup changed the music to something a little wilder and turned it up.

"Wait, I thought sitting around with everyone was the party?" Tuffnut blinked.

"Nah, that's just with family present. When it's just us…Things get crazier. You party hard…" Davyn began.

"Or you go home," the rest including Hiccup cheered as they all took another shot and laughed. Olivia moved to be sitting in Hiccup's lap now, and she kissed him. After a few seconds, Olivia shifted so that her knees were on either side of his legs and her lower half was on Hiccup's as her body faced his and they continued kissing.

"Hey, hey! It's a party, no kissing," Oivind said.

"Exactly…It's a party. Getting laid is part of the fun," Hiccup chuckled as he went back to kissing his wife deeply; his hands moved up her shirt, then back down over her hips and up her legs.

"Getting laid?" Heather asked. Hiccup broke the kiss and looked at them.

"That's one of the many terms we use to describe what lovers do in bed together behind closed doors. I forget what you guys call it, but for us, it's making love, having sex, getting laid, banging, fucking, screwing," Hiccup explained.

"Well, you're doing it all wrong. It's the man in control," Alvin remarked.

"Not in the modern age," Eirik stated. "Around here; man or woman can be on top and in control because males and females are treated as equal. Besides, a lot of guys like a girl who takes control now and then,"

"And we do a lot more than one position too; things you'd never even imagine a man and woman doing. The goal is pleasure and release, and around these parts, you can do whatever to achieve that. One of these days I might show you," Hiccup said.

"I, uh…Vikings don't do that with anyone other than their wife or husband," Stoick reminded quickly.

"Oh, my Gods! I should have been more specific…I meant that there are pictures and videos that could show you, not me actually showing you," Hiccup rephrased quickly.

"Hiccup is talking about something called porn. And what that is videos of random people going at it, having sex and stuff," Olivia informed.

"People allow you to watch them when they do this?" Snotlout stared.

"It's a form of entertainment, and for a lot; a paying job. Random partners will hook up in a bedroom and just have sex with video cameras recording it. Most couples, married or just dating don't watch it, but single people will," Sigvard stated.

"Why single people?" Vera questioned.

"When you're single, you don't have anyone to do things with in a sexual sense. And now and then, guys and girls just get turned on, aroused and want to relieve that feeling and get a release," Hiccup responded.

"And…How do you take care of something like that without a partner?' Tuffnut inquired.

"Self-pleasure, which is the act of touching yourself. A lot of people around here call it masturbation or playing with yourself until you orgasm, cum, climax, or release. Not sure what term you use," Davyn shrugged.

"And single people watch _porn_ to help them with this… _Self-pleasure_?" Astrid wondered.

"Basically, yes," Hiccup informed. "Look, I'm drunk as shit, and I'll tell you about it another time," he added as he went to take a drink of his Bacardi and Coca-Cola. Afterward; he started making out with his wife again. The partying continued as by 10:30 pm, Olivia went off to bed and Hiccup stayed up with the Vikings and the guys to keep drinking and having a good time. Well, Hiccup was with his 5 friends, but the Vikings just kind of watched. Valda and Halvor had fallen asleep on their bed. As it continued to get later; Hiccup had a total of 6 shots, 4 beers, and two Barcardi and Coke drinks; he was definitely drunk, and so were his friends. At 11:15, 3 of Hiccup's friends were fast asleep on the couches. All that remained was Davyn, Sigvard, and Hiccup.

"Dude…It's so late…" Davyn mumbled.

"Y-You two tu…rning in?" Hiccup stammered with his words.

"We're all wasted, man…Especially you…" Sigvard chuckled. "Come on; you're falling asleep over there,"

"Yeah, guess so," Hiccup nodded tiredly. He reached for the remote to turn off the music and TV. Slowly, he made his way to the bathroom, then returned and laid on the couch as Sigvard and Davyn were basically out.

"You alright, lad?" Gobber asked Hiccup seeing him sway a bit to find his footing.

"M'fine…" Hiccup muttered before laying down on the couch. The Vikings made their way to their beds and prepared to sleep for the night. So, it had been an interesting day and night, but at least things were calm.


	16. After Effects

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

After Effects

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Sunday, 11/12/2017-10:45 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

Olivia was up bright and early by 7:15 am, but headed off to work by 7:45 for an 8 am to 3 pm shift. Davyn, Jolgeir, Eirik, Oivind, and Sigvard were up by 9:45 am. All 5 of them used the bathroom and sat up with the Vikings through an easy breakfast of eggs and toast. Hiccup, though, remained fast asleep on the couch still.

"Is he going to sleep all day?" Snotlout wondered.

"Nah, he'll be up soon," Davyn informed.

"You all drank, so how come you're up earlier?" Gobber decided to ask.

"Depends on how much you have. Hiccup had a few drinks at the bar, another place to drink, but in public with strangers or sometimes close friends," Jolgeir said.

"And he drank here too, plus stayed up later than the rest of us," Oivind added. "You know he's going to have a bitching hangover, right?"

"A what-over?" Astrid inquired.

"A hangover is the after effects of heavy drinking and getting drunk. You wake in the morning feeling sick and trying to remember what you did the night before," Sigvard explained. "It only lasts a couple of hours; he'll be fine. You should have seen him when he turned 21, man, that was a fun night,"

"You fuckers let Olivia rape me and laughed about it," came Hiccup's voice as he sat up slowly with a hand to his head.

"It was hilarious," Eirik chuckled.

"It's not our fault she was horny," Jolgeir snickered. "And, uh, I didn't hear any complaints from you,"

"Well, no shit. It's sex, and it feels amazing," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"So was it really rape if you were enjoying it?" the males grinned.

"Fuck all of you. I was drunk; I couldn't consent," Hiccup groaned as he got up and moved to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed; they looked at one another.

"I give it a minute," Davyn said.

"I give it far less," Jolgeir stated.

"I give it 5," Oivind held up 5 fingers.

"5, 4, 3, 2, and…1" the boys counted down. On the one; the sound of Hiccup throwing up was heard in the bathroom.

"And there it is," Sigvard stated.

"Is he going to be okay?" Vera inquired gently.

"Yeah. He'll throw up, use the bathroom, and shower. That usually deals with a majority of the hangover effect," Eirik enlightened. "Well, we better get going," they began to stand up.

"Just…Try not to give him a hard time. I know its probably a good feeling to see him alive after 8 years, but Hiccup has told us a lot about how it was for him back then," Oivind said.

"It's not awesome memories for him, and his flipping out last night on you as a result of years of pain boiling to the surface; he's been holding it in for a long time. I mean, perhaps with some time; he'll come around…But for now, he doesn't want anything to do with any of you," Davyn interjected.

"He's only doing this because he was told to and the best person for the job since he knows what it was like to adjust to a new place in a new age," Jolgeir mentioned.

"Hiccup isn't usually someone who holds a grudge, so he might forgive you with time if you're able to prove you understand how much you hurt him, and that you're sorry. There's no guarantee he'll return to the Archipelago; I wouldn't bet my hopes on that. Hiccup rebuilt his life from nothing to what it is now; he loves it here. Just…Give him some time, and don't set him off. Hiccup has a wicked temper, and you don't want to be on the receiving end. Last night was nothing compared to how angry he can actually get," Sigvard warned.

"We…Understand," Stoick nodded.

"See ya around," Oivind waved as they left the house.

"What now?" Viggo asked.

"I guess we wait for Hiccup to come out and see what we're learning today," Gobber shrugged.

 **. . .**

 ** _[11:05 am]_**

Hiccup came out of the bathroom with a black towel around his waist and his clothes from the night before under his arm. Hiccup moved right over to his room and closed the door. 5 minutes later; Hiccup emerged wearing a pair of white shorts but no shirt, as usual.

"Feel better?" Vera inquired.

"Little," Hiccup shrugged as he went into the kitchen to grab a water bottle. It was at this time they noticed the tattoo on Hiccup's left shoulder; it was black and definitely the symbol for the Strike Class dragons, a Night Fury. Underneath, written in Norse runes were the words; _Strike Unit_. Hiccup returned to them while drinking some of the water and taking two small white objects and putting them in his mouth and swallowing.

"What were those?" Viggo asked.

"Painkillers; its medicine for headaches, backaches, general pain," Hiccup said as he sat down. "There's a lot of kinds of medicine in pill and liquid form; they all do different things. There is stuff for colds, general pain, things that help you sleep, stay awake longer; I'll show you more in a bit. A lot of it is just…More advanced, but all comes from the beginning stages of medicine like what Gothi uses,"

"Oh," the Vikings said, nodding.

"So…What's with the thing on your back? The tattoo?" Heather wondered.

"I got that after the first deployment in 2014," Hiccup replied.

"And these…Deployments; they are when you're fighting wars in other countries, right?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Correct. I've been on 3 tours of duty, or deployments since I joined the army," Hiccup informed. "The first was right after I finished my basic and individual training; we were sent to Syria for 4 months. After that, there was another tour in February 2016, and that lasted 8 months; we were in Iraq. And the last one was cut short; I was supposed to be in Afghanistan for a year, but orders changed, and I ended up in the Archipelago to deal with making sure you didn't get wiped out by enemies wanting to wage war there," he explained.

"And somewhere in all that; you got married?" Dagur stated.

Hiccup nodded. "Olivia and I started dating as boyfriend and girlfriend when I came home from army training in October 2014. However, that was a month before I was shipping over to Syria for the first deployment. Liv and I got engaged about a year and two months after we started dating, so December 2015; I asked her to marry me. And then a month later in January 2016, we got married because I knew I'd be leaving for the Iraq tour in February, after that and we wanted to be married before I left," Hiccup took another drink from his water bottle.

"So, all that aside…What do we get to learn about?" Vera wondered.

"What do you want to know about?" Hiccup asked. "I should you about things in a house, but you're not ready for the public yet, and my hungover ass isn't leaving the house today," he added.

"What kind of things did you do at training?" Tuffnut questioned.

"When I did army training in 2014?" Hiccup looked at him to confirm.

"Yeah, was it hard?" Dagur inquired.

"For someone who knew nothing of the modern world, yes. I never used to be a fighter; I hated it…I always felt the war with dragons was ridiculous and a senseless battle, especially after meeting Toothless. But hey, I knew no one would listen to me if I tried to show you a different way. But after meeting Henrik and learning what the army was about…I realized that there were something worth fighting for, like peace and freedom for everyone. The training is meant to push you to your limits and then farther. I may have DVD of when I was there lying around somewhere for you to watch if you wanted a general idea," Hiccup informed.

"How long were you away for?" Stoick quizzed.

"Left in June, returned in October…About 16 weeks? Then more training for the 4 months in Syria. That training was to teach us how to survive in hostile combat situations. Can't very well train for war if you're not in one to see how things are," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Were you scared?" Astrid pushed.

"I was 18 and in a war zone; I was terrified, but so were the other soldiers too. You learn to swallow the fear and use it as a drive to fight. You trust you're your teammates and have each other's backs no matter what," Hiccup remarked.

"So, I get the Night Fury tattoo. Toothless is your best friend…But why does it say _Strike Unit_? What's that?" Vera inquired curiously.

"The army is one massive group of soldiers. However, it's broken up into smaller groups. When you join, you get put in a company, and you're with these people until you retire, or, if you end up dying. Example-wise…The company that I'm part of is called Alpha Company, and it's led by the man you met when you saw me again, Colden Kongur; he's the rank of Major, so he's the entire company's commanding officer. He's in charge of 144 people, not including the other commanding officer beneath him," Hiccup began to explain.

"Alright, following so far," Gobber nodded as did a few others.

"Good. Next group is called Platoons, and these soldiers who get split up from the company into two groups. In Alpha Company, there is Thunder and Lightning Platoon. Thunder is run by 2nd Lieutenant Matthias Baardson. And Brynjar, who you met last night commands Lightning. Now, These 2 groups have 72 soldiers each because the company of 144 is split in half. Each Platoon breaks down into 2 Squads; Dragon and Viking, don't ask because I did not come up with it. Colden's little brother, Ander Kongur commands the Viking Squad, and I command Dragon. There are 6 Units per Squad. On Dragon Squad, we named our units after the classes of dragons. Strike, Stoker, Tidal, Tracker, Boulder, and Sharp. We don't use Mystery because dragons are mysterious to us. Viking Squad is made up from Sword, Shield, Arrow, Armor, Spear, and Mace; all weapons that Vikings use," Hiccup continued.

"So, you command the Dragon Squad-Strike Unit. And you picked Strike because Toothless is a Strike Class dragon?" Ruffnut smiled.

"Bingo," Hiccup nodded. "Toothless is the symbol for the Strike Class dragons, so it made sense that since Toothless and I are bonded as friends, partners, allies, whatever you wanna call it; I made him the icon for my team, which is made up of Jolgeir, Oivind, Eirik, Davyn, and Sigvard,"

"That's a nice little tribute to Toothless," Vera giggled.

"I don't think I would have ever made it this far if not for him," Hiccup smiled as Toothless crooned lightly and nuzzled Hiccup's face a little. "Yeah, yeah. I love you too, bud," the Night Fury closed his eyes and preseed hire forehead to Hiccup's as Hiccup's eyes closed as well. "I promise we'll go flying soon,"

"You do it often? Fly him?" Stoick questioned now.

"We usually do it every morning, and night, but things have been so busy that we haven't had time. We fly above the clouds, or right over the water's surface. It's…Exhilarating; there is nothing like flying," Hiccup stated afterward.

"If you want to go fly, we'll stay put here," Heather offered.

"If I fly now; I'll be throwing up the rest of today…My stomach is in no condition for all the rolls, flips, and speed," Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"Well, when you're feeling better…Can we watch?" Heather asked.

"Watch me fly?" Hiccup arched a brow. They nodded as Hiccup moved over to a rack of DVDs and pulled one out; he loaded it into the DVD player. Afterward, he turned the TV on and played the DVD by pressing a button. "This is just a random mix of Toothless and my flying through the years since we came here. Last flight was probably…I don't know, back in Afghanistan before I took my leave in September," he added with a smile while sitting back. The video wasn't super long, but it showed markers of what year it was, the month and how old Hiccup was at the time. When it was over, Hiccup put the DVD back in its spot and turned the TV back to normal programs.

"That's…Incredible. You two move as one," Viggo mentioned.

"That's the only way to fly with a dragon. You have to move with them; I'm the only person who rides without a saddle, though. Nobody else can manage it, and it's against the dragon laws," Hiccup shrugged.

"There are laws about dragons?" Gobber blinked.

"Ones to protect them, yes and I wrote a good majority of them as I'm the person who started all dragon training 7 years ago, 8 in February," Hiccup replied.

"Can we see any of that? The school you were talking about?" Ruffnut wondered.

"I may show you, but it doesn't really have anything to do with why you've been brought here," Hiccup sat back as he watched something on the TV about soldiers in Afghanistan who got wounded or killed in a recent attack. "Wait a second…Th-That's…Where I was a couple of days ago…"

"This report we're watching is located in the place you were at?" Snotlout asked.

"Yeah, that was the base we were at before orders changed. Enemies attacked it last night. Those guys and girls were part of my Battalion, that's the next level up above Company. Warrior Battalion holds about 400 to 1,000 soldiers and breaks down into 3 or 4 companies. Alpha, Blast, Conqueror, and Dagger Companies were in Warrior Battalion," Hiccup trailed off as he turned the TV up.

" ** _Enemy forces ambushed this location behind me late last night. Sources say the warning alarm sounded and they were attacked within moments by a barrage of Rocket Propelled Grenades. Following that; at least 100 enemies burst through the barricades, and it became a firefight,"_** the reported stated as Hiccup just stared.

"No…" Hiccup almost whispered seeing the damage of the base.

" ** _The attack was pushed back within an hour as reinforcements arrived. As you can see; there is still a lot of chaos and rushed efforts to find any soldiers unaccounted for on top of the many who were injured or killed. Right now, the last numbers recorded are that there are over 30 who have been injured and at least 15 dead. Regretfully, these numbers continue to climb as more and more are recovered from the wreckage,"_** the reporter informed.

"Lad…" Gobber started when he saw Hiccup lower his head and look off to the side. Instantly, the door to the house opened as Henrik stepped through and saw Hiccup sitting the way he was. Henrik grabbed the remote and turned the TV off as he knelt in front of Hiccup.

"Hiccup. Hiccup, look at me," Hiccup lifted his head enough for Henrik to see tears and pain in his green eyes. The Vikings saw it; Hiccup was about to cry. Hiccup put his hands on Hiccup's shoulders. "I know, son. I know it hurts. Believe me; I do, Hiccup. You don't have to be strong when it happens. It's okay to be upset…Don't hold it in," that was all it took. Hiccup lowered his head, burying his face into his hands; the tears began to slip as Henrik pulled Hiccup in for a tight hug.

After a few minutes, Henrik seemed to pull back, and Hiccup palmed away the tears from his eyes and face. "How'd you know I'd be upset?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm your father; it's my job to know how you react to certain things. Hiccup, come on…I was a soldier for almost 30 years; I saw all the same things. I went on missions I knew I might not come back from. I saw friends get killed and had them die in my arms. I had to leave people behind that I couldn't get without risking myself or someone else. I used to come home from war and have trouble sleeping because I couldn't forget the things that had happened," Henrik told him.

"How'd you cope an forget?" Hiccup asked, sniffling a little.

"I coped because I let my friends and family help m. I talked and let them in; I told you this last night. You can't hold it in; it will destroy you from the inside. And sometimes, no matter what you do, you'll never forget; it just gets easier with time. Everyone has trouble adjusting to normal life after the deployment; the familiar sounds make you panic, hearing about others in the places you were getting hurt and dying, not being able to sleep because of nightmares…Hiccup, I've been there, and so have many others. It doesn't get any easier no matter how many times you do it. But I promise you this; you cannot keep these feelings to yourself and pass it off that you'll be fine. Trying to be strong when you know it hurts is how everything starts. I've lost friends to PTSD and suicide, Hiccup…Because they thought they could do it by themselves. I won't lose you, son. So please, I'm begging you…Talk to someone. Your friends, a counselor, or even me…But talk to someone and get help if it starts becoming too much to handle. Alright? Promise?"

"I promise…" Hiccup nodded to him.

"Good," Henrik said; then kissed Hiccup's forehead. "I love you, son,"

"I love you too, Dad," Hiccup replied as they hugged again.

"I saw the report before it went to live broadcast; I grabbed Ashspark and rushed here because I knew it was going to hurt you to find out that people you have known for almost five years, trained, and worked with were involved in that attack. I told you; I've been down this road, son…I knew you would need the assurance that it's okay to be upset and hurt," Henrik ruffled Hiccup's hair a bit. "You okay? Feel a little better?" he asked.

"If I didn't already feel like shit from drinking last night; I'd let 's go grab a beer…" Hiccup smiled a little.

"Yeah, you drank a lot last night; it might be a good idea to give yourself a couple of days break. But I will take you up on the father/son beer when you're not hungover. We'll make a night of it, just you and me," Henrik chuckled.

"Next week? Friday or Saturday?" Hiccup asked.

"Sounds good," Henrik nodded. "You sure you're alright? Your mother is worried too and wanted to come, but I told her to let me handle it,"

"Much appreciated. Not that I don't love Mom, but-," Hiccup started.

"Say no more, I get it," Harry and Hiccup laughed a little. "Want me to hang here for the rest of the day? Gets me out of cleaning the house if I say my son needs me,"

"I'd like that, Dad. Maybe you can teach them a few things while I take a nap…" Hiccup yawned. "My stomach is bothering me,"

"No problem. Go rest," Henrik replied. Hiccup got up and went to his room, Toothless followed as well and then the door closed.

"So…What was that all about?" Astrid spoke first.

Henrik smiled softly. "Just as I said…In the military and serving your home by fighting in a war; you see a lot of things you can't unsee. You lose friends you've been with since the beginning, and that hurts no matter how many times it happens. When a soldier finally gets to get away from all the battles; it takes time to readjust to a calmer lifestyle, but things from war can come back and make it harder. Hiccup is just suffering a little after-effects; he'll be okay," he informed as the others felt like they couldn't do much. Unfortunately, they didn't know this world or how a lot of things worked. "So…Hiccup teach you about computers, phones, or tablets yet?" the group shook their heads. "Well, then I know how we can kill a few hours until Hiccup wakes up," the man grinned.


	17. This Is It For Now

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

This Is It For Now

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Thursday, 11/16/2017-6:45 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

It had been about a week since everything happened. The Vikings were adjusting to the modern world slowly, but that was to be expected. When Hiccup had to do it; it was just him learning, but now he was in charge of teaching 13 others the things he learned. Of course, Hiccup was doing to be teaching them everything, but the basics of life and try to get them a bit more open-minded. Thanksgiving was next Thursday, and Hiccup was excited for that because his wife had a sonogram on the 22nd; he'd finally get to see the baby moving actively, and Liv would be just about 3 months along. The Vikings still wanted to know more about Hiccup, but there weren't many chances to ask him since he was trying to live his life and instruct them. Every day, it was something new, and Hiccup's mood seemed to be even with them instead of sarcasm and hostility. The Vikings were absolutely doing their best not to piss Hiccup off at all.

This morning would likely be no different than any other, except for the fact the Vikings were all up and heard when Hiccup's phone rang. Henrik taught the group about tablets, phones, and computers on the day Hiccup was hungover and napping. Over the course of the week, the 13 Vikings were improving as far as talking Danish over Norse. It still came out broken up, and a little hard to hear, but Hiccup and most others figured it out from when Hiccup struggled upon coming to Denmark.

"Yeah?" came Hiccup's tired voice.

"Who is it, babe?" Olivia asked.

"Go back to sleep, Liv…It's work. Hang on, Major…" came Hiccup's muffled voice as he ended up exiting the room and flipping on the lights. "What's up?" Hiccup asked next. "I see," he said after a few minutes. "Yeah, I'll tell the others. What time and day is this happening on? And what attire?" another pause. "Do I have to bring the Vikings?" A sigh. "Very well," he stated. "See you tomorrow, Major Kongur," the call ended. "God damn it…" he looked up and closed his eyes.

"Is…Everything okay, Hiccup?" Gobber decided to ask.

"Yeah…" Hiccup mumbled. "You guys get the special treat of seeing how a memorial service works around here tomorrow at 5 pm," he added.

"Memorial service?" Fishlegs inquired. "Is it…For the people who died in Afghanistan last week?" he hesitantly added.

Hiccup was quiet. "Yes. And it's something that you're required to be quiet and respectful during. The funerals already took place, but since there are too many people who want to say goodbye; the soldier hold their ceremony after the fact," Hiccup was not looking forward to this; he shouldn't have to bring the Vikings, this was a place for them, and he was not in the mood to have to explain everything. However, he had no choice, so what could he do except just do it.

 **. . .**

 ** _[Friday, 11/17/2017-4:45 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Kastellet Military Base]_

Hiccup left Toothless at home with Olivia while he took the truck with the Vikings loaded in the back into the city on to the military base. Hiccup made sure each of the Vikings was wearing something acceptable. Hiccup was wearing pale green pants that had a black stripe down the sides, black shoes, and a white shirt with his dog tags hanging from around his neck. Hiccup parked the truck and took a deep breath before moving to the back to let the Vikings out.

"I feel like a father telling his children to behave here, but for the love of everything…Be on your best behaviors tonight. This is a serious thing for us…" Hiccup warned.

"You don't have to worry, lad," Gobber assured.

"Believe me…I do," Hiccup remarked then he let them out and helped a few of the girls. Hiccup moved to the front, passenger seat and grabbed a few things out of it before closing the door and moved back to the group.

"Aren't we going in?" Stoick wondered.

"Yeah…Once I finish getting dressed for the occasion," Hiccup stated as he put a black string around his neck and started tying it until it was secured around and hanging down along the front of his button-up white shirt. Hiccup tucked in the shirt to his pants before pulling on a green jacket and buttoning it. Hiccup brought the black belt with a silver buckle around his waist, and the jacket then secured it. Hiccup pinned his name tag over the right pocket as the others saw it saying; _Sgt. Haddock_.

"Why didn't you finish at the house?" Astrid wondered.

"Easier to drive without everything on," Hiccup stated as he fixed his shoes and tie; then straightened out his uniform before grabbing his hat and fixing his hair just enough to get the cap in place.

"Ready to head in?" Brynjar asked while walking up.

"Am I allowed to say no?" Hiccup inquired.

"That's a half and half response. You can say no to not being ready, but you can't say no to go inside because it's a direct order," Brynjar chuckled a bit. "Come on, Hic. I know it sucks, but we gotta honor them…Some of them used to be in Alpha Company before the final switches were made," he rubbed his shoulder a bit.

"I know," Hiccup nodded.

"Good. Let's move, brother. I got a group of tables for the Vikings, you, and the platoon, so we can sit together," Brynjar informed. Hiccup nodded once more as he walked next to Brynjar and the Vikings followed quietly, remembering what Hiccup told them about being on their best behavior. "I was also told that this is just Alpha Company in here. I guess Blast, Conqueror, and Dagger had theirs while overseas still,"

"Fantastic…" Hiccup sighed a bit as they entered the room with Brynjar and instantly found Colden.

"Got him, Major," Brynjar told Colden.

"Ah, good. Right on time, Sergeant Haddock. Now…I have a bit of small request for tonight," Colden began.

"Oh, this should be good. At least you're asking this time instead of throwing it on me as you did with the Vikings…" Hiccup mumbled sarcastically.

"Lieutenant Holt, would you be good enough to take the Vikings to the tables while I speak with Sergeant Haddock," Colden inquired.

"Yes, sir," Brynjar saluted and motioned for the Vikings to follow him. Hiccup gave them a look to go ahead as he then faced Colden to wait for this so-called request.

 **. . .**

 ** _[5:30 pm]_**

Hiccup could not believe what Colden asked him to do, and Hiccup only agreed for the sake of the soldiers who lost their lives. The opening of the ceremony was simple; a general introduction by Major Kongur. Hiccup was sitting with the Vikings, and the rest of the platoon was stationed in the same vicinity as him. There were about ten to a table, but Hiccup was between the tables where the 13 Vikings were. The opening of the memorial was going through the 23 names of those who died, showing pictures of each. There were battle crosses set up, but the Vikings didn't know what they were and planned to ask Hiccup later.

"Soldiers, please…Join me?" Colden finally asked.

"Stay here," Hiccup told the Vikings as he got up and moved with the rest towards the front of the room.

"Attention!" Colden called as the soldiers snapped into position. "Hand salute!" he said next as the soldiers brought their hands up to their right hands up to just above the eye. "Parade rest," the men and women moved to have their feet apart and hands behind their backs. "Sergeant Haddock,"

"Sir?" Hiccup replied.

"Are you ready?" Colden inquired.

Hiccup sighed. "Not really, but seeing as you really didn't give me much choice in the matter; then yes," he nodded. Colden handed him the microphone now.

"The floor is yours," Colden backed up now. Hiccup stepped forward.

"Alright, so…We all know why we're here; it's to say mourn and say goodbye to 23 brave, selfless, and courageous men and women who paid the ultimate price for freedom and peace. Many of us stand here before the battle crosses with a straight face, or we've given in to the pain of losing comrades and damn good friends and let a few tears slip. But in all the sadness, we might find a reason to smile. These men and women may not be with us in person, but they continue to fight alongside us when we charge into battle. Giving us hope, strength, and inspiration when we find ourselves at wit's end when all seems lost. I was taught by the man who took me in when I came here with nothing other than a small bag of belongings and dragon that when the people you love and miss can't be with us…You celebrate them. And I think that's exactly what we should do here tonight," Hiccup said firmly.

"Now…Major Kongur only asked me to talk, but I've been working on a little something for all soldiers, and I think that it's a perfect time to show you. So for those we've lost, and those still fighting…It's time we let everyone know who we are and what we stand for," Hiccup added.

"Hiccup…" Colden warned.

"Leave him be, Major. I'm quite interested in what the lad has cooked up," Askel chuckled a little. Hiccup got his phone and plugged it into the boombox as he tapped something and stepped back. Hiccup set the microphone back on the stand. "Soldiers, return to your seats," he ordered. The others broke off to sit down as Hiccup stayed put, facing them. **(Song is "We Are Soldiers" by Otherwise.)**

"Dude! That was amazing!" Brynjar punched him in the arm.

"It's only the truth," Hiccup shrugged as he grabbed his phone and slipped it away.

"Well done, Sergeant Haddock. I may get a copy of that from you and start using it as the graduation from basic training theme song. If you don't mind?" Askel laughed while coming up to shake Hiccup's hand.

"I, uh…Sure, I guess…" Hiccup nodded. "I'll make one for you,"

"Good lad. How'd things going with the Vikings?" Askel inquired, pulling Hiccup off to the side.

"Eh, it's going," Hiccup replied. "I've covered household appliances and what not. Phones, tablets, computers, TV, music, electricity, gas, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, other small things. Oh, planes and vehicles too," he listed off.

"And they are understanding?" Askel wondered.

"For the most part. It's really just been me explaining and them asking very few questions. I taught them the alphabet, numbers 1-50, spelling, years, months, days, and days of the week. I've somewhat taught them Danish, but it still comes out a bit broken like how I was," Hiccup explained. "Is there anything else you want me to teach them or can they go back?"

"Oh, no…Not yet. We still have a lot of work happening on the islands before they can return to teach others and adjust. Have you gotten into different types of jobs, buildings, holidays? Perhaps doing laundry, cooking? Oh, what about dragons?" Askel inquired.

"I…Don't think they're quite ready for dragons yet…Or at all…I mean; they've been at war with them for hundreds of years, Major General…" Hiccup admitted.

"Well, you won't know unless you try," Askel offered.

"With all due your respect, sir…As the lead dragon trainer; I can't risk the dragon's lives. I can't trust they wouldn't use the information to lure a dragon in to kill it…Remember, I left because they would have killed me for befriending one…I'll teach them the other things, but I'm reserved on the dragon training," Hiccup stated firmly.

"Fair enough; you are in charge of that department. Now…What do you plan to do with them come Drill Weekend in a few weeks?" Askel asked.

"I…Don't know. Liv has work, and I can't ask Henrik to babysit them," Hiccup informed.

"Well, I suppose you can bring them here and reside in a barrack for the time you are training. Entirely your call, of course. They'll just have to sit and watch for most of it, unfortunately. I'll allow you to explain things if they have questions as long as it doesn't reveal anything classified," Askel mentioned.

"What is happening at next month's drill?" Hiccup inquired.

"Standard PT, shooter practice; I also believe obstacle courses and war-like scenarios. You know…Small missions that you'd do if deployed. Capture, recon, infiltrate," Askel stated. "Oh, and sparring matches," he added quickly.

"Great…Yeah, I guess they can come…At the same time…I could use the break," Hiccup sighed.

"It's your decision, just let me know so I can make sure the gate guards will let them in," Askel said.

"Will do, sir. Anything else?" Hiccup questioned.

"No, that's it. You're doing a fantastic job, Sergeant. Keep it up," Askel smiled before Hiccup and Askel saluted one another and walked back towards the tables. Hiccup plopped down in his seat and put his head down.

"What's wrong, Haddock?" Brynjar asked.

"Developing a migraine…" Hiccup mumbled some.

"How bad?" Sigvard asked.

"Bad enough that I need to get home before I won't be able to drive…" Hiccup groaned closing his eyes. "I really just don't feel good tonight,"

"Are you going to be okay to operate the truck?" Eirik inquired. Hiccup gave a so-so motion with his hand. "Hiccup…Come on; this is serious. If you can't drive, one of us will do it for you,"

"Let's not take the chance. I live the closest; I'll drive, and my dragon can follow so I can get home after," Brynjar stated. "Let's go, Haddock," he helped Hiccup up.

"Are…We coming too?" Vera wondered. "Is Hiccup okay?"

"He's just not feeling well right now, and I'm taking him and you all back to his place so he can get some rest," Brynjar informed. The Vikings got up, wondering what made Hiccup sick so suddenly because he'd looked fine all day and up until right this moment.

"Lieutenant Holt, where are you going?" Colden asked. "This memorial isn't over until 7 pm; there's still a dinner to be had,"

"I know, Major, and I'm sorry. Haddock isn't feeling well, and I'm gonna take him home because he doesn't feel confident enough to operate the truck right now," Brynjar stated.

"Take him to the on-base medic; that's what they are there for," Colden began, but Askel put a hand on Colden's shoulder.

"He's fine, Major Kongur. I spoke with Hiccup a few moments ago, and he looks a bit pale. The lieutenant is fine to take him and the Vikings home," Askel remarked with a head nod to Brynjar, who then led Hiccup and the group of 13 out.

 **. . .**

 ** _[6:25 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark]_

Brynjar was five minutes from the house as Hiccup was groaning almost. "Haddock…You alright?" Hiccup jerked a little; then it happened again.

"Pull over…" Hiccup moaned.

"What?" Brynjar asked.

"Bryn…Pull over the truck…Now…" Hiccup said as he jerked forward and covered his mouth.

"Shit," Brynjar quickly pulled over as Hiccup fumbled to get out of the passenger seat, close the door, and then end up puking on the side of the road twice. Brynjar got out of the driver's side and went next to Hiccup. "Stay in the truck," he told the Vikings. "Hiccup, what is going on?"

"I don't…know," Hiccup confessed.

"You eat something that didn't agree with you? Food poisoning usually hits a few hours after eating something bad," Brynjar questioned.

"St-Started feeling sick yesterday afternoon. Was just a headache and some fatigue…" Hiccup panted leaning against the side of the truck.

"Can't be a 24-hour bug then…Maybe the flu?" Brynjar suggested as he checked Hiccup's forehead. "You're warm. Come on, let's get you home…You good for the rest of the drive?" Hiccup managed a nod as he pushed off the truck and climbed back inside. Brynjar returned to his seat and started the truck up once more, continuing the path to Hiccup's house. Arriving 5 minutes later, Brynjar helped Hiccup inside as Olivia saw the state of her husband and hurried over.

"What happened?" Olivia asked.

"I think he's got the flu to be entirely honest, Liv…" Brynjar said as the Vikings came in next and just went to their spot. Brynjar set Hiccup on the couch as Olivia checked his forehead and cheek.

"He's warm…Any symptoms?" Olivia asked.

"Said he started feeling sick yesterday and got worse today. We left the memorial because he was complaining of having a migraine and not feeling alright to drive, so I brought him home. We stopped five minutes ago because he threw up twice on the side of the road," Brynjar explained.

"Babe? What else is bothering you?" Olivia questioned. Hiccup never answered as he got off the couch and the fastest place he could make it was the kitchen sink to throw up again. "Yeah, it's gotta be the flu or the migraine making him sick. You know it happens every year in the colder months," she sighed.

"I know," Brynjar nodded.

"Liv…You can't be…near me. Not good for you and the baby…" Hiccup forced out before he threw up again and coughed hard.

"He's right, Olivia. You shouldn't get sick with the flu while pregnant; your best bet is to stay away from him. I can stay, or call over his mother," Brynjar informed. "Yeah, I'll do that," he got out his phone and dialed a number. "Mari; it's Brynjar. Hey, can you come over to Hiccup's to help take care of him? Liv and I think he's got the flu, and she shouldn't be around him while she's expecting," he explained. "Awesome, thanks…" he hung up. "She's on her way,"

"I'll take care of the Vikings then. I assume they haven't eaten yet?" Olivia asked as Brynjar shook his head while helping Hiccup get into his room. Brynjar stood outside while Hiccup changed into his sweatpants and a t-shirt. "I'll cook for them," she went to make something. Ten minutes later, a knock on the door revealed Mari had arrived and came inside.

"Oh, my poor boy," Mari frowned seeing Hiccup on the couch.

"I better get back. Hope you feel better, Hic!" Brynjar connected his hand to Hiccup's then left the house, leaving with his dragon. Mari spent the first 5 or so minutes checking over Hiccup; the final thing was checking his temperature. When the machine in his mouth beeped, Mari looked at it.

"100.3," Mari said softly before wiping it off and sticking it in her purse. "Liv, bring me a bottle of water, please?" she asked. Olivia got one and handed it to Mari while she was getting a couple of pills into her palm. "Here, son. Something for the fever, pain, and nausea. Might even help ya sleep a bit," Hiccup sat up and took the offered medicine. He laid down after as Mari covered him up and set the water bottle on the table next to the couch. "There, now try to rest. Mom is here to take care of you, like always," she smiled while petting his hair a bit. Soon, Hiccup ended up falling right to sleep as Mari found a place across from him.

"I'm sorry you had to come over," Olivia said gently.

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear. I don't mind coming; makes me happy to know he still needs me sometimes," Mari giggled a little. "I know he used to have to take care of himself when he was younger and sick," she added lightly. "I know I'm not his real mom, but I'm glad he sees me as one and trusts me to care for him. He'll be okay in a few days; we know he gets this every year, and sometimes more than once," she reminded. Olivia nodded as she continued cooking while Hiccup slept and Mari pulled out a book to read. The Vikings guessed on their own that this was probably it for the rest of the night, and maybe the next couple of days.


	18. Awkward Teachings

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Awkward Teachings

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Sunday, 11/19/2017-1:45 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

It had been 2 days since Hiccup got sick and the 13 Vikings couldn't do much except watch while Olivia took care of them and Mari, Hiccup's adoptive mother, care for him. Olivia explained that Mari was a doctor and took care of sick people, but she did it out of the comfort of their own homes to avoid offices and hospitals. The 13 Vikings didn't understand what those places were, but Olivia was also in a rush to get to work. Hiccup was fast asleep on the couch, but according to Mari; Hiccup's fever finally broke, and he'd been able to keep down a light breakfast and lunch. However, Hiccup was still tired and a little achy, so Mari suggested another day of rest to make sure he was entirely past the worst of the flu. Mari was on the couch, reading her book when her phone rang.

"Hello, this is Doctor Anderson," Mari answered. "I'm with a patient right now, but I suppose I can step out real quick to take a look," she said gently. "I'll be right over," then the call ended. Mari tucked her book away into her purse and stood up after checking Hiccup's forehead. "At least the fever is staying down," she nodded and faced the Vikings. "I have to run out to see another person who is sick…Hiccup should be fine here and stay asleep, but if he wakes up, will you tell him?"

"No problem," Gobber said.

"Thank you," Mari quickly headed out the door.

"What now?" Astrid asked.

"Can't do much of anything," Stoick shrugged. "Hiccup is still sick,"

"Stop beating yourself up, Stoick," Viggo remarked.

"I'm not," Stoick denied.

"You hate that Hiccup doesn't need you to take care of him and that he doesn't come to you for help as he does with everyone he knows here," Dagur pointed out. "You can't beat yourself up over what happened in the past. What's done is done,"

"I'm his father, and I've messed so much over the years that now, he doesn't even see me as his father anymore," Stoick sighed heavily.

"Because you didn't act like his father when he needed you to be it," Gobber rolled his eyes. "I told you time and time again to take Hiccup with you when you did your chiefing. Or spend some time with him at home,"

"I know, Gobber…But what can I do now? I can't go back and change it…" Stoick said.

"No, you can't. So you do what the rest of us are doing; moving forward," Viggo stated. "You can't change the past, but you can change your future with the right decisions. Maybe Hiccup won't open up to or accept you now, but perhaps with a bit more time; he'll come around. Things are still tense, and we just have to keep doing what we're doing by listening and learning,"

Stoick nodded as his eyes fell on Hiccup's slumbering figure. "No matter what happens; you have to remember that Hiccup has a life here. He has a wife, a child on the way, friends, and people who treat him like family. That's not something he got on Berk, and he's mentioned plenty of times that he won't come back. But if we play this right, maybe he'll let us in his life and visit from time to time. Or keep in contact with letters…Or those phone and computer things," Gobber reminded.

 **. . .**

 ** _[3:15 pm]_**

Hiccup began to show signs of waking up and Mari wasn't back yet. Hiccup groaned and slowly pushed himself up on the couch before putting a hand on his head and looking around.

"Mom?" Hiccup asked.

"She had to go see another sick person," Vera informed. "How…Are you feeling?"

"Better than I did two days ago…" Hiccup replied as he forced himself up and off of the couch now and moved to the bathroom. The door shut as the 13 Vikings just sat there and waited for Hiccup to come out. It happened 20 minutes later when Hiccup emerged with a towel around his waist and went to his room to changed clothes; then came back out into the living room. Hiccup grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and took a few sips from it. "My mom say when she'd be back?"

"No, just to tell you where she was if you woke up and she wasn't here," Stoick stated. Hiccup got out his phone and texted his mother that he was awake and moving around, plus feeling better and would take it easy for another day. "So…You get sick like that every year?"

"Usually. Sometimes it's the flu, like this, or it's just a cold. It happens to a lot of people in the colder months, which for us is October to…mid-March? Sometimes April," Hiccup replied.

"And what you had was the _flu_?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yep. It's a common sickness for this time of year. You get 4-5 days of fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue. Some people get all the symptoms, and others get just a few," Hiccup explained. "Colds are similar with sore throats, coughing, but usually not including the vomiting, chills, or fever. Kids are more susceptible to a fever than an adult," he continued.

"Oh, makes sense," Heather nodded. "So, why do you get it more than once?"

"I was born early; I have a weaker immune system. And what that means is my body isn't quite that good at fighting off the things that can make me sick," Hiccup stated. "I'll get into more of those lessons in the next couple of days, though, I'm sure you 13 don't need me to tell you the parts of the body. At least I hope not,"

"No, I think we have that under control," Viggo informed.

"Thank Odin," Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief.

"We were wondering though…What is a hospital or doctor office?" Dagur asked.

"Alright, you know how when one of you is sick or hurt, you go see Gothi to take care of it, right?" Hiccup inquired as they nodded. "Well, here, there are tons of people like Gothi. Not in the short, old woman who doesn't talk way. But they are…Medicine workers. And they work in small buildings like Gothi does, or the hospital, which is a massive building…Like…Bigger than the Great Hall, and it's just all where people go when they're hurt badly, sick, and even pregnant and due to give birth," he remarked.

"Woman do not give birth in their homes?" Vera blinked.

"Some do if they want. Most prefer the hospital because there is a medicine that can be given to them, so they don't feel the pain on contractions and pushing. And some women give birth in the water too; there's a lot of ways to do it evidently. And the fathers are allowed inside during everything. In fact, most women demand it," Hiccup sat down in a chair and motioned for them to come over and sit with him. The 13 got up and found places to sit around the living room.

"That's forbidden with Vikings, always has been," Viggo said.

"Not around here. Women prefer their boyfriend, fiancé, or husband with them for added support. It's believed that since how both of them are involved in the baby-making process than it makes sense men have to be part of everything, including the birth," Hiccup replied. "I plan to be at Olivia's side. I can't wait for the appointment on Wednesday; I finally get to see the baby,"

"Wait…She isn't due yet, though. Didn't you say she's only just about to be 3 months along?" Heather said quickly.

"Yeah, I should have explained that better. There are machines that allow you to see the baby while it's in the mother's stomach and once a woman is far enough along, like past 5 months or so; doctors can determine if the baby will be a boy or girl," Hiccup said. And he saw how confused they were; he sighed. "Hang on…I might have something that can show you what I mean…" Hiccup got up and started filing through a few things until he found a small tape; then he put it in a bigger one before loading it into the VCR and turning the TV on. "Now, this isn't Olivia or someone you've met yet. Her name is Katja; she's like my best female friend, and she's Brynjar's little sister. This was when she was pregnant with Dagny, the little girl you met last week,"

The tape began as they saw a girl laying on a slightly angled bed with her shirt up and showing her pregnant belly. A woman was sitting beside her in front of a machine that had a screen. The woman took a little flat wand looking piece and set it on the female's belly and began to move it around. "See, right there," Hiccup pointed to the place on the screen. "That is Katja's baby inside her stomach still; this is she found out she was having a girl. Kat sent it to me because I was away training for the army at the time it happened," he stated.

"That's…Insane, but amazing…" Astrid.

"Yep, it helps monitor the pregnancy closely. Making sure the baby is growing, heart still beating; it's pretty cool. And this is what I get to see in three days when Olivia goes for her appointment. She's still about two months away from being at the point we could find out if boy or girl, but still…It's exciting," Hiccup said before turning the tape off and put it away with the rest of the collection on the shelf. "Dagny was born on January 15th, 2014, so she's only about 3 years old, going on 4 in 2 months. And Kat is pregnant again; she just found out at the end of October, so she's due for…June, right around the time Liv is actually, so that should be fun," he smiled while sitting back.

"Will we get to see?" Gobber inquired.

"When Liv has her appointment? No. Not because I don't want you there, but the rooms are really small, and it's usually just for the expectant mother and father. I'll have Henrik over to keep you company while I'm there, and if I get it on tape; I'll show you when we get back," Hiccup responded. "Anything else you wanna ask about or are curious on?"

"Well, you said you'd tell us more about that whole self-pleasure thing when you weren't drunk?" Snotlout mentioned.

"You would ask about that…Fine, just to get it out of the way…" Hiccup sighed. "But…It's not for them," he pointed to Halvor and Valda. "Around here, kids don't learn about sexual experiences until they are 14 or 15…" Hiccup stated.

"What do you propose I do with them?" Stoick asked.

"I suppose they can watch TV in my room…" Hiccup shrugged as he approached Valda and Halvor, smiling softly. "Do you two want to watch a fun show about a girl who is the daughter of the Chief, and forbidden to leave her island, but does it anyway and travels far from her home across the sea in order to save it?"

"What's her name?" Halvor asked.

"Moana, it means Ocean," Hiccup said. Halvor and Valda nodded to him as Hiccup offered each of his hands to them and they took them as Hiccup walked to his bedroom and set them on the edge of his bed while he set up the movie and pushed play. Hiccup got them two juice boxes and stepped back as the kids were instantly drawn into the animation of the movie. Hiccup chuckled a little as he closed the door a bit and returned the remaining 11 Vikings. "That should keep them busy for an hour or so," he grabbed his laptop and hooked it up to the TV in the living room while powering it on. Hiccup brought up a webpage and typed something in; the Vikings weren't entirely confused because Henrik explained and showed this to them last week when Hiccup was dealing with a hangover. Henrik stated that the internet was like one big history book, it could just about anything they wanted to know about.

"So this…Uh, laptop, I think Henrik called it; this lets us see what porn is?" Ruffnut inquired.

"Yep, all kinds too. There's male on male, girl on girl, boy, and girl; it's endless. But for this; I'm just showing you the standard male and female, then how single people use self-pleasure," Hiccup scrolled down the screen a bit and clicked one of the videos, while it loaded; he turned the TV down. Hiccup couldn't believe he was showing them this, but he understood that they didn't know any more than what they grew up learning. And in fairness, Henrik showed Hiccup the same thing when Hiccup was taught, but at least it was only him. Hiccup is showing 11 people this stuff.

The video wasn't super long, about half an hour, but it showed a lot of the basics of a couple having sex. When it was over, Hiccup paused it. "I'm likely going to regret asking this, but now is your only time to ask questions. If you ask me any time after this; I refuse to answer,"

"Okay…So as the best example…That's what you and Olivia do?" Dagur spoke up first.

"Not just us, most couples do. It can last 15-20 minutes, or it can go a couple of hours. Every couple is different," Hiccup replied.

"Alright…I get the different positions it can be done in, though, some look really weird…What's with the guy or girl using their hands and mouths on the others?" Astrid asked.

"It's called foreplay, meaning, done before the actual sex. Really, it's just another way to feel pleasure and make things last a bit longer than jumping right in," Hiccup stated.

"But like…What is it called? You said that sex is called all those other things used for intercourse, so what is this stuff called?" Gobber rephrased.

"Well, girls using their hands on the male part is called a handjob. And using their mouths is referred to as a blowjob. Don't ask because I have no idea where it originated from and was named that. Guys using their hands on a girl's womanhood is considered fingering or rubbing. And using their mouths is usually referred to as eating out," Hiccup said.

"And people enjoy this type of physical contact?" Stoick arched a brow.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded. "It's hard for you to understand because none of you have experienced it. You're used to a few kisses and jumping right into having intercourse,"

"I was wondering something. What was that cover like thing that the guy put on before he pushed into the girl?" Heather asked.

"That is called a condom. Guys wear them as a way to prevent pregnancy; it does not always work, but a good majority of the time; that's it's main purpose," Hiccup explained.

"But if he's still inside, isn't that all it takes?" Tuffnut said.

"No. Because the condom catches what comes out when a guy finishes, therefore prevents any sperm from reaching an egg," Hiccup informed. "That's how pregnancy works. A woman's typical cycle is 28 days long. The first day is when you start bleeding. Then on day 14, their body releases an egg. If sperm, what releases from the male when he cums, is in the body on that day or even a couple of days before a woman ovulates, which is releasing an egg; fertilization happens. Sperm and Egg now melded together travel to the womb, and the baby starts growing. Most women realize they are pregnant when they are due to start bleeding and don't because you don't get your period when you're pregnant," he explained the easiest way possible.

"But…Olivia said she took a test to tell her?" Vera mentioned. "And that her cycle is irregular,"

"Because out here there is a test that tells women they are pregnant. There's a hormone, or signal a woman's body will release through their pee, and the test picks it up," Hiccup said. "So as you should know, women can only get pregnant once a month; the timing has to be basically perfect. With Liv, she does have a weird cycle. That means she doesn't always bleed at the same time every month, so her ovulation or egg-releasing date is different. And there are months she doesn't get her period at all; it's a weird concept, but it's just how things are. All it meant for me is that I didn't know when she would release an egg or not,"

So…Women release an egg once a month, and if she has sex with a guy that day or a little before…She can get pregnant?" Heather asked. Hiccup nodded. "But a guy wearing that condom thing can stop it from happening?" Hiccup nodded again.

"That's right," Hiccup replied. "When a guy cums, he releases sperm in it. Sperm can live in the body of a female for up to five days. So that's why if its there before the woman's body releases an egg; then the egg travels down, and sperm can reach it. It only takes one sperm to fertilize an egg,"

"Wow. But we use something that keeps us from getting pregnant too…Do girls still use the Maiden's Tea?" Ruffnut inquired.

"No, there are tons of other female forms of birth control. There's a pill, patch, little ring that goes inside of a woman; there's something that goes in the arm too. All of them release medicine that helps a woman's body prevent pregnancy. So, it's along the same kind you already use, just again, more advanced. But hey, even sometimes…All of that doesn't work. Liv was on birth control; she used to take the pill, and I wore condoms…She still ended up pregnant," Hiccup shrugged. "We were gonna wait to have kids until my deployment in Afghanistan was over, but since I'm home early, works out pretty nicely,"

"So, you showed us sex…Well, what else can be done. What about the self-pleasure?" Dagur inquired.

"It's the act of pleasuring yourself without the need of someone else," Hiccup remarked as he pulled up a short, 30-second video of a guy masturbating and finishing. And then he showed them a video of a female playing with herself. "The best part is there's no need for birth control because you can't get yourself or anyone else pregnant,"

"You've done this before?" Snotlout blinked a few times.

"Hey, this was all new to me once too, remember? Yes, I've done it. I was probably…I don't know…Close to turning 16 the first time to see how it was. Anything else after that was probably just because I was bored and could do it. Or, once I started dating Liv and we got into our make-out sessions; I'd get back home, turned on, and deal with it. Like you, sex before marriage isn't smiled upon, but it's not illegal either. And most people end up having sex before they get married. Like I've done for you, Henrik showed me the same things. Some people use these videos to get aroused, turned on, horny, sexually excited…Whatever you want to describe the feeling as. Or they just sit in a dark room and go for it when they're bored. You touch yourself enough, guys will get hard, and girls will get wet. You'll feel the desire to want to get off, or cum, so you'll do it," Hiccup stated.

"Wait, you had sex before you got married?" Stoick asked quickly.

"Yes. When Liv and I had been together for almost a year, which is about when most couples who are dating will do it. Some do it long before then, and others after or wait until marriage. I did not, and she started it. No male in their right mind refuses the opportunity to have sex if offered. Liv and I made love after 11 months of dating, and then I proposed to her two months later on Christmas, which is Denmark's version of your Snoggletog. I can't remember if I told you that already. Told you, it's not a big deal out here; we're much more laid back in what we can do," Hiccup chuckled.

"And on that…We're done on this topic. I told you what you wanted to know; it's not a hard concept," Hiccup closed down the windows of his laptop and closed the lid. And by the Gods; he never wanted to have to talk about these things with them. At least it was done, and out of the way, so he never needed to go through the awkward lessons again.


	19. Heartbreak

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Heartbreak

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Wednesday, 11/22/2017-1 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

As long as I lived; I never wanted to be on the topic of sex or self-pleasure again with the Vikings. I get they didn't know some of the newer-age things, but Gods; it was so awkward because I knew these people. When Henrik taught me; we were basically strangers even though I lived in his house with his family. Also…I was 15-years-old, about the average age a teenager would learn about sex, masturbation, urges, and what not. Me teaching the Vikings? No, these people range between the ages of 20 and 65; that we ridiculously uncomfortable to deal with! But, it's out of the way, and I pray they never ask again. I was only so open about my experiences so they wouldn't decide to question later. I was over the flu by Monday afternoon; I felt great, so it was back to the normal of teaching the 13 Vikings about modern life. Technically, I'm only teaching 11 of them; Valda and Halvor didn't count because they were about to turn 5 in January.

I knew I'd have to take these people out into the public soon; it was the best way to show them everything else the modern side of things had to offer. I decided it would wait until next week when Thanksgiving was over since that was tomorrow. I was having my family over, and my buds would likely stop by for dessert. Today, my focus was on the fact it's my wife's first sonogram! We're already at the office and checked in waiting to be called. Today, Olivia is 11 weeks and 6 days along, tomorrow; she would be 12 weeks or exactly 3 months. I have Henrik at the house with the Vikings; I told him to just work with them on speaking Danish and writing it. I also said that if that went well, Henrik could teach them to start operating things in the living room like the TV and DVD/VHS player.

"Oh, Hiccup! This is so exciting," Olivia mentioned.

"I know…" I admitted.

"And in 8 or 9 weeks, we can find out if we're having a boy or girl. But you said you wanted to be surprised, right?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah," I nodded to her.

"Olivia Haddock?" the nurse said from the door by the check-in window. Olivia stood as did I beside her. "Right this way," the woman smiled. I held Liv's hand as we moved past the door and towards the back. "Alright, first we're going to do height and weight; then we'll move into the room," she informed. I held Olivia's things as she got on the scale; I watched the nurse check her weight and height. Afterward; we moved into a room on the left side of the hallway. "Dr. Fredrickson will be right with you in a few minutes," the nurse put the folder in a plastic holder on the door, then exited.

I helped Olivia on the bench and sat beside her in the available chair. "Ready to meet our baby?" Olivia asked while I held her hand.

"Do you even have to ask?" I smiled before standing up a little to kiss her gently. "I love you,"

"Love you too," Olivia replied. 5 minutes passed as there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Olivia informed. The door opened revealing the doctor.

"Hello, Olivia. It's nice to see you again, dear. Is this the husband?" Dr. Fredrickson asked.

"Yes, this is Hiccup Haddock. Babe, this is Dr. Jannike Fredrickson; she's my OBGYN for the pregnancy," Olivia introduced.

"Pleased to meet you," I shook Jannike's hand.

"You as well. Now, how about we meet this baby?" Jannike took her seat and turned the machine on. Jannike squirted a little clear gel on Olivia's belly and moved it around with the wand. "And there we go," she said when the image came up. I wanted to cry; I couldn't believe I was seeing my baby in my wife's belly right now. "Everything looks wonderful, Olivia. Perfect placement, good size…Let's get a listen to that heartbeat," Jannike smiled as she moved the wand a bit and turned a dial as I heard the sound. It was my baby's heart; it sounded so strong! "You are right where you should be, dear,"

Gods, that was a relief to hear. "Can we get a copy on the pictures? I'm making a baby book," Olivia asked.

"Certainly. I'll send these to the printer and bring them out before you leave. You're all set, and I'll see you again in a couple of weeks," Jannike informed as she turned off the machine and wiped Olivia's belly off. Olivia sat up and fixed her shirt as I helped her down.

"You go make the next appointment; I'm going to use the restroom," I told her. Olivia nodded and kissed me before exiting the room. I went off to the bathroom to relieve myself; then washed my hands and exited as I bumped into Jannike. "I'm sorry," I said quickly.

"Oh, no worries. Here are those pictures your wife wanted," Jannike stated, handing me two or three print-outs. I looked over them as Jannike was walking away, and something didn't look right. I noticed at the top bar where the patient information was, this said Olivia was 15 weeks and 3 days along. That wasn't correct.

"Dr. Fredrickson…I think you marked the wrong number of weeks Olivia is," I said as Jannike stopped and came back my way and looked over the pictures. "Liv is 11 weeks and 6 days along,"

"No, I'm afraid that's incorrect, Hiccup. I saw Olivia on the 18th of September when she was 10 weeks and 3 days along, and we did a sonogram and measured the baby then. Olivia told me she missed her period on September 3rd and found out with a home test that she was pregnant on September.." Jannike flipped through Olivia's folder now as I glanced over. "10th; she was 5 weeks exactly on that day. Missing your period marks 4 weeks, and if you count that to now, it's 15 weeks. Your wife will be 4 months along on the 26th of November, she conceived at the end of August, I believe on the 21st," Jannike said lightly.

That…Couldn't be right. Olivia couldn't have gotten pregnant on August 21st; I wasn't home yet. I was still in Afghanistan. "I-I see. Thank you for clarifying, Doctor," I said. Jannike nodded and headed off as I held the pictures and went out to meet Olivia as she was just finishing. This…Wasn't possible. If what the doctor said is true…Then Olivia can't be pregnant with my child. I wasn't home until September 4th, so she got pregnant two weeks before I came back on leave?

"There you are, I was afraid you got lost," Olivia smiled lightly.

"No. I…Ran into the doctor and she gave me the sonogram print-outs," I replied quietly. Nothing made sense. I mean it did, but it didn't.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked.

"Yeah, I-I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night in the anticipation for today," I said. "Let's get to the car," I said as I handed her the print-outs, and she slipped them into her purse as we left the office.

 **. . .**

 ** _[1:40 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Reaching the house, I parked the car as Olivia, and I got inside where Henrik was sitting with the Vikings.

"Hi, son. How did it go?" Henrik inquired. I looked at him, and he saw something in my eyes, quickly rising to come see me as Olivia went into the bedroom to do something. "What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath. "Can you…Take the Vikings out of here for an hour or so?"

"I…Suppose I can, but why?" Henrik asked.

"Something has come up, and I don't want them here while I figure it out," I said.

"I'll…Take them to the park for a bit, but can you tell me what's going on?" Henrik inquired.

"Later when I hopefully say that I'm wrong and it was a huge misunderstanding or error on someone else's part…But if it's not…-," I trailed off.

Henrik nodded as he hugged me. "Let me know, son. I love you," I grabbed the keys to the truck off the hook and handed them to him.

"You too," I said. "Thanks," Henrik nodded as he moved back towards the others.

"Um, we're gonna load up in the truck and take a little field trip to the park," Henrik told them. Olivia came out of the room now, smiling. Henrik saw Hiccup's face change to one seriousness while looking at his wife. "Yeah, let's go…Now," he urged the 13 Vikings to get moving.

"Is…Something wrong?" Vera asked.

"We just need to leave, now," Henrik stated.

"Where's Henrik taking the Vikings, babe? Is it going to be just us tonight?" Olivia giggled a bit.

"Back in the bedroom, Olivia," I said in a cold tone. Olivia's face fell as she saw Henrik leading the others to the door and I faced Olivia.

"B-Babe…What's wrong? Is everything okay? You're scaring me…" Olivia stared at him with concern.

"Do not _babe_ me right now, Olivia; I am far from in the mood. You and I need to talk, now," I informed firmly. I saw the door shut as Henrik left with the others; my eyes fell back on Olivia.

 **. . .**

 _=Normal POV=_ _  
_ ** _[2 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Park]_

"So…Why did we have to leave?" Snotlout asked while Henrik was walking with them along the park paths.

"Hiccup and Olivia needed to talk about something," Henrik stated.

"And they couldn't do that with us there?" Ruffnut blinked.

"Well, some conversations can be had with an audience, but others are best reserved for private. Usually serious matters," Henrik shrugged. "I don't know what happened; Hiccup just asked if I would take you guys out for an hour or so," he added hoping everything was alright with his son. There was an unmistakable look of pain in his green eyes that Henrik only saw when Hiccup revealed losing friends in the war. And now it had happened after an appointment which was supposed to be a big thing for Hiccup.

Henrik's phone rang as he lifted it and tapped speakerphone. _"Have they returned yet?! I want pictures of my grandchild!"_ came Mari's voice.

"Love, I'm not even at their house right now," Henrik sighed.

" _You were sitting with the Vikings for him. What's going on, Henrik?"_ Mari asked.

"I don't know. Hiccup returned about 15 minutes ago and asked if I'd take the Vikings out of the house for an hour or so; the last thing I heard while leaving was Hiccup telling Olivia that they needed to talk," Henrik informed.

" _Those are never good words, Henrik. Something must have happened,"_ Mari said.

"I know…Hiccup said he'd tell me later when he hopes that he can say he is wrong," Henrik mentioned.

" _That does not sound promising in the slightest, darling. How did he look? Mad? Upset? Hurt?"_ Mari questioned.

"To be entirely honest…He looked…Betrayed," Henrik confessed.

" _Yeah, that's not good, Henrik. I want to know what's going on as soon as you find out,"_ Mari insisted.

"I'll keep you posted, babe," Henrik confirmed. "Love you,"

" _You too!"_ Mari then hung up. Henrik sighed while he slipped the phone away and continued walking. The Vikings weren't sure what to say or do, but it was clear that something big happened and Hiccup was not as happy as they thought he'd be after getting to meet his baby.

 **. . .**

 ** _[3 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

At the hour mark, Henrik took the Vikings back to Hiccup's house. As everyone was unloading and preparing to get back inside; they saw Olivia loading some bags into the car, crying her eyes out. Olivia saw Hiccup come out of the house and put a suitcase down on the step.

"Hiccup…Please? I-I'm so sorry…" Olivia pleaded.

"I don't want to hear it, Olivia. If you were really sorry; then you would have one, stopped doing it, and two told me the truth. But you didn't; you kept doing it with no regard for me and tried to cover it up. You got discovered, and I will not deal with it. Just take your stuff, and leave." Hiccup stated coldly.

"Please don't do this…" Olivia begged while standing in front of him.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have done what you did, and I wouldn't have to do this," Hiccup retorted.

"Then don't do it. We can just go back inside a-and live our lives as we have been," Olivia tried.

"What fantasy world are you living in? On what delusion do you think that we'd be okay after what you did. There's no coming back from what you did. I can't even look at you right now, and I'm through talking, so go. I'm generous enough to let you take the car," Hiccup scoffed.

"Where am I supposed to go?..." Olivia whimpered.

"That's not my problem. Go to a hotel, stay with your parents, a friend…Go back to Dane for all I care, but you will not live here. You should be damn lucky that we're not Vikings because in that culture; I have the right to kill you and your lover, and nobody would hold it against me," Hiccup remarked.

"Hiccup…P-Please…I-I love you," Olivia cried. "Just give me another chance…"

"You will get nothing from me. Yeah…I thought you loved me too. But apparently, you don't love me as much as I loved you and the 2 years of marriage means nothing to you as it did to me. And the proof of that is growing in your stomach. We're over, Olivia. You'll be hearing from my lawyer to deal with the legal side of ending the marriage, but as far as I'm concerned…We're done. Now, leave," Hiccup demanded as he stepped back and closed the door in her face.

Olivia grabbed her last suitcase and packed it into the car; then she sobbed while starting up the vehicle and backing out of the driveway before going down the road. "Oh, no…" Henrik took a breath and opened the door and saw Hiccup sitting on the floor against Toothless with his knees up and arms over his knees. The 13 Vikings saw this same thing.

"Hiccup?" Henrik asked as Hiccup looked over.

"Hey, Dad…I was just about to text you and say you could come back," Hiccup said in a dead tone.

"Hiccup, you know I was outside and saw that whole scene, don't you?" Henrik sighed.

"Hadn't noticed…Sorry," Hiccup looked away. Henrik put his hands on Hiccup's shoulders and had Hiccup look at him.

"What happened, son? Please, tell me?" Henrik inquired. Hiccup's eyes met his father's as Henrik saw the tears resting there. Hiccup cast his eyes down a bit.

"She's been cheating on me since May 2017…" Hiccup revealed. "I told her I wanted a divorce and to leave…" he added closing his eyes.

"Oh, son…" Henrik said sympathetically. Henrik quickly hugged Hiccup while he cried. This was different for the Vikings to see. The last time Hiccup was upset; they knew he was crying by the fact he had his face in his hands and Henrik was trying to comfort him over the loss of army friends. But this time…The 13 of them could see Hiccup on the floor and hear him crying over what happened, and despite them not quite understanding what happened; they knew that Hiccup sent Olivia away, and it looked like Olivia had broken his heart.


	20. He Just Needs Time

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

He Just Needs Time

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Wednesday, 11/22/2017-3:45 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

Hiccup cried for a good half an hour while Henrik only held him and said everything would be okay. The Vikings didn't understand much of the situation because there were words used that they didn't use in the Archipelago, but they knew Olivia did something to hurt Hiccup and so much that he made Olivia pack her things and leave the house. Also, Hiccup said that they were done.

"I-I don't…Understand what I did…I-I was a good husband…Wasn't I?" Hiccup sobbed.

"Son, I don't think you did anything wrong. You were a great husband; you loved and always provided for her. That's what a husband, a man does. Hell, you did more for her than I did for your mother sometimes," Henrik tried to joke a little, but Hiccup wasn't having it, and Henrik couldn't blame him.

"Then why…Why would she do this to me…?" Hiccup cried. Toothless warbled sadly, trying to nuzzle against his friend to comfort him.

"I don't know, son. Did you ask her? Did she give you a reason?" Henrik asked as he pulled away and Hiccup used his sleeve to wipe his face dry, but there were still tears in his eyes as he put his head back against Toothless. "Come on, get off the floor and tell me what happened," Henrik got up and pulled Hiccup to his feet; then get him sitting on the couch. Henrik sat beside him with an arm over his shoulders.

"Everything started at the doctor's office and just escalated from there…But she's been cheating on me since May, Dad. After a lot of arguing…And terrible reasoning, I told her I couldn't be with her anymore and was done, not after this," Hiccup said.

"What reasoning did she have for cheating on you for 7 months?" Henrik asked, entirely blown away by the information.

"She went out with friends to the club. Katja's boyfriend, Dane, was there…They got shit-faced, came back here, and fucked. I guess Olivia was going to tell me, but then Dane convinced her not too…And they decided to keep doing it so she wouldn't be lonely with me deployed…" Hiccup lowered his head again.

"Yes, you did say outside that if she had stopped and told you, maybe it could have been forgiven…Oh, son, I'm so sorry…" Henrik hugged him again; then they pulled apart. "I assume that you're filing for divorce since you said she would hear from your lawyer?"

Hiccup nodded. "How can I stay with her, Dad? There would be no amount of any talking or time that can fix the fact she cheated on me for 7 months…And still would be if I hadn't gotten home early; she admitted that to me when I asked…Maybe with time, I can forgive her, but we can't be together anymore. Not knowing the things I do, and she did it with my best friend's boyfriend…Gods, I need to call Kat and tell her. I knew Dane was an asshole, but he's cheating on her…And they have a daughter, and another baby on the way…" Hiccup sighed heavily.

"Stop, Hiccup. You need to focus on you for once; you always worry about everyone else over yourself…" Henrik said as Hiccup nodded to him. "If you really want to file for divorce; I know a good guy who can handle it; he's your mother's brother, Uncle Jonas. I'll call him on Monday for you…But on the subject of children, what will you and Olivia do about custody of the baby; that will come up in family court," he stated.

The tears in Hiccup's eyes slipped down again as he shook his head. "No…No, it won't…" he said.

"What do you mean, Hiccup? You're not giving her full custody, are you?" Henrik asked quickly.

"I have no right to that child, Dad…" Hiccup lowered his head.

"Son…It's your baby too; you can't just walk away," Henrik informed.

"No, you don't get it," Hiccup got up and faced Henrik now. "I have no right because it's not my baby," Henrik's eyes widened. "I just want the divorce…" he started crying harder again. Henrik held him and rubbed his arms.

"Alright…Ssh. Everything is going to be okay; we'll get through this. Why don't you take a fly with Toothless, or a hot shower…I'll call your mother and tell her everything, and I'll get the number for your uncle's office," Henrik offered. Hiccup nodded as Henrik kissed the side of his head. "Everything is going to be fine, son. You know you have your family and friends in your corner because what Olivia did was inexcusable and unforgivable,"

Hiccup wiped his eyes and stood up; he whistled for Toothless as the Night Fury rose and came to Hiccup's side. Hiccup threw his leg over Toothless's neck and pressed a button on the wall as the ceiling opened up. The Night Fury raised his wings and launched into the sky fast. Henrik rubbed his face and groaned. "Of all the things I thought was wrong…I didn't expect it to be that. Excuse me; I have to call Mari…" he stepped away while getting his phone.

"Wait…What happened?" Vera asked.

"Olivia was unfaithful to Hiccup; I'll explain more after," Henrik sighed. Of course, no sooner than he got his phone out, a call came in from his wife. "Hello?"

" _I just saw Hiccup fly over on Toothless going entirely too fast and yelling out. What happened?!"_ Mari screamed at him. Henrik pulled the phone from his ear and put it on speakerphone.

"Mar…Do not do this right now. I was just about to call you to get your brother's office number," Henrik said.

" _My brother's office number? Why do you need a div-,"_ Mari stopped. _"Henrik Anderson! What happened!?"_ she demanded.

"Hiccup's divorcing Olivia…" Henrik informed sadly. Silence.

" _I will be right there, and you will explain everything,"_ Mari hung up.

"Typical Mari in overprotective mother mode…" Henrik closed his eyes. 10 minutes passed as Mari burst through the door with the 4 kids coming in right behind her. "Mar…Mar, easy…I know you're looking for Hiccup, and he's not back yet. I told him to go flying to clear his head and calm down…Sit, I will tell you what happened…"

Mari sat down on the couch, and the kids did as well. "Is Hiccup okay, Daddy?" Lilly asked.

"Unfortunately, Lil…No, he's not, and it's going to be a while before he is again," Henrik said gently as the children frowned at the information. Henrik faced Mari now. "Olivia has been cheating on Hiccup for 7 months. The first time was a drunken accident in May, but instead of telling Hiccup the truth…She continued to do it to fill the void of the loneliness with Hiccup not being home,"

Mari gasped quickly. "What! Where is she?! I'm going to give her a piece of my-,"

"Mari, stop. Hiccup doesn't need that right now, and it doesn't matter because Olivia is gone. Hiccup kicked her out and told her they were done," Henrik said.

"Is Hiccup going to take custody of the baby?" Britta inquired.

"That's…The other thing," Henrik glanced off to the side. "Hiccup said it wasn't his baby,"

"What? How? It has to be his, Olivia's pregnancy matches right up with when Hiccup was home," Mari said instantly.

"Mar, I don't know. Hiccup broke down for half an hour in my arms after telling me that Olivia cheated on him. Afterward, I asked Hiccup the same question, and he said it wasn't his; he started crying, and I told him to take a fly…" Henrik stated. "Maybe he thinks that because Olivia was having sex with the other guy before Hiccup got home. I don't know; you have to ask him," he added.

"Oh, believe me…I will," Mari got her phone out and dialed Hiccup. "Son? It's Mom. Dad told me what happened…Can you come back, so we can talk about this, please? I need more information for the lawyer," a pause. "I'll see you soon, sweetie. I love you," then she hung up. "He's coming now,"

5 minutes passed before Toothless slowly descended into the house from the open roof and landed. Hiccup got off Toothless's back, and Mari quickly hugged Hiccup tightly; then returned it before she brought him to sit beside her on the couch.

"What more do you need to know…" Hiccup asked quietly.

"Well, your father told me about the cheating…But how is the baby not yours?" Mari questioned.

"It's Dane's…" Hiccup let his shoulders drop as he sighed sadly.

"Dane? The boy with Katja?" Britta blinked as Hiccup nodded.

"And you know this for certain?" Henrik questioned. "It could still be yours, Hiccup; you were home in September…Olivia is 3-," he began.

Hiccup shook his head again. "4," Hiccup stated. "She'll be 4 months on the 26th. There's no way it's mine…That's why I said everything started at the office when I saw the sonogram pictures…" Hiccup had his arms on his knees but hands clasped together and his head down.

"Explain, son?" Mari asked.

"All this came out at the doctor's office. The appointment went fine; it was after when her doctor gave me the sonogram print-outs that something wasn't right. The top of the picture said Olivia was 15 weeks and 3 days along…I told the doctor that Olivia was only 11 weeks and 6 days, but her doctor said I was wrong and that Olivia told her she missed her period on September 3rd and the doctor said Olivia conceived on August 21st…That was two weeks before I even got home, Dad…It's…Not my baby…" Hiccup wiped his eyes again. "There's no possible way,"

"And she tried to make you believe it was, didn't she?" Henrik asked. Hiccup nodded. "Oh, Hiccup…" he hugged him again, and Mari did the same.

"You don't need to worry about anything, Hiccup. My brother will take care of everything, and Olivia won't take anything either," Mari informed.

"She can't anyway, Mom. The house, the vehicles, even the bills…Everything is in my name; she doesn't own anything. I paid for the house and renovations, I pay the expenses, and I paid for everything in here…" Hiccup reminded. "The only thing she left here with today was her bags and suitcases; I gave her the car to use. No matter what she did to me…I'm not so heartless to make her walk with all that stuff while she's almost 4 months pregnant…" he sighed.

"You're a good man, Hiccup," Henrik rubbed his back a little. "I doubt Olivia is going to make this easy, though,"

"If I have to go to court; then I will…Like I said…I don't want anything from her; I just want the divorce," Hiccup revealed as he got up.

"Where are you going?" Lukas wondered.

"I don't know…I just want to fly…I don't care where; I'll be back later…" Hiccup said in a low tone. "Come on, bud." He motioned to his dragon. Toothless stood as Hiccup jumped on. "Go…Just get me out of here," Toothless raised his wings and darted into the sky above; the two of them were out of sight within seconds.

"I'll call my brother," Mari headed off to the side to make a call.

"Poor Hiccup…" Lilly frowned.

"Why would Olivia do this to him?" Stoick asked. "This is not how marriage works. My wife may have been taken by a dragon 22 years ago, but I've never stopped loving her,"

"Hiccup didn't stop loving Olivia; he still very much does, and that's why it hurts so much," Henrik stated.

"He should be happy that he isn't being lied to anymore," Snotlout remarked.

"But that doesn't erase the fact he thought she loved him enough to stay honest and loyal to him," Britta responded. "That's what marriage is all about, promising to love, stay faithful and honest. Hiccup and Olivia made those vows two years ago, but she has broken hers by sleeping with another man while Hiccup was away serving in Afghanistan,"

"And for what reason would she do this?" Viggo inquired.

"It's hard on some people when their boyfriend, fiance, or husband goes off to war," Henrik said. "There's constantly worrying about when you'll hear from them, praying they are okay, and the always fear of getting a notification that they were killed in action while fighting. However, being dishonest and cheating is unacceptable. Mari hated when I left but always stayed loyal to me. Olivia, on the other hand, got drunk with friends and cheated on Hiccup with his best friend's boyfriend. When someone gets drunk; they don't always think clearly, and accidents happen. Hiccup would have forgiven Olivia, and they'd work through this if it had only happened once," he continued.

"But it didn't, did it?" Gobber asked.

"No," Henrik shook his head. "Instead of Olivia owning up to the mistake of a drunken night; she didn't tell Hiccup anything and continued to sleep with this other person. And every one of those instances was when she wasn't drunk, so it became a conscious choice she made to have sex with someone else to fill the void of Hiccup being gone,"

"So let me get this straight," Astrid spoke up. "Olivia was unfaithful to Hiccup and having sex with some other guy because Hiccup wasn't home, and unable to have sex with her himself?" Henrik nodded. "Even though she knew where Hiccup was and what he was doing, which was fighting in the war?"

"Yes," Britta informed.

"Yeah, Stoick's right…That's not how marriage works, and Hiccup should have killed her and the other man as Viking law would allow him to," Dagur crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well…That's now how we handle things in these parts. I mean, some people do it still, but they got locked up for the rest of their lives because it's a crime. Around here, people just get divorced and end the marriage. She'll go about her life, and Hiccup will continue his," Mari interjected. "Jonas said he would meet with Hiccup here on Tuesday at 5 pm, and no charge for services because he's family,"

"Hopefully, this will be a quick process," Henrik sighed.

"You know she'll give him trouble," Mari mumbled.

"And Hiccup is an adult, Mari; we can't fight his battles for him. Hiccup can handle it, and we'll be here for moral support," Henrik reminded.

"I just can't believe Olivia would do this to him…And with his best friend's boyfriend too? Has Katja been informed that her boyfriend is cheating on her?" Britta asked now. "I mean, Dane got Olivia pregnant…Surely that's going to come out with how far along Olivia is,"

"That is Hiccup's business to tell her or not," Henrik said. "I assume he will because they are best friends and Hiccup has stated that he doesn't like Dane anyway," he added.

"Do you think we're still doing Thanksgiving here?" Hagen questioned.

"That's up to Hiccup, but I really don't feel like he's going to be up for it," Mari insisted.

"So, how does this divorce thing work? For us; it's just saying things are done and going to the Chief about it," Heather inquired.

"What happens is somewhat similar, depending on a few things. In marriage, two people agree to love and cherish one another faithfully until death do they part. So, it's like a contract," Henrik said.

"We have contracts," Ruffnut mentioned.

"Our parents start them when a couple begins dating; then there are betrothal gifts, and the marriage not far behind," Vera added.

"Done differently here. A couple will date for 1-3 years before the man asks for woman's hand in marriage. Following that, the couple will spend between 6 months to 1 year planning the wedding," Mari explained. "After marriage, the 2 who were wed will sign a piece of paper along with 2 witnesses and the licensed person who married them. This paper is filed away as a legal representation that the 2 people are married. For the couple; their referral to being married is their wedding rings and of course, all the pictures and videos from that day,"

"Okay, Hiccup explained all that to us when we first came here…The man asks a woman, both exchange rings and takes their vows on them…" Astrid chimed in. "So, what's the divorce process? It's not as simple as removing their rings and calling it done?"

"Unfortunately, no. Hiccup and Olivia remain legally and lawfully married until the divorce is finalized," Britta remarked.

"Divorce is the act of ending the marriage, so they have to break the legal contract that bound them together in matrimony. This can be done 1 of 2 ways. The first is that Hiccup and Olivia both sign a document stating they want to end the marriage, which will get filed and their marriage is annulled by a judge, and things are done. The second process is what we hope it doesn't come down to, but it involved going before a judge as Hiccup and Olivia end up fighting. This happens if Olivia refuses to sign the divorce papers because she doesn't want things to end," Henrik informed.

"And why would she want to stay married to him knowing what she did and that Hiccup doesn't want her anymore?" Viggo arched a brow.

"Well, in most marriages; things are half and half, the term used frequently; _what's mine is yours and what's yours is_ mine. Meaning Olivia could fight the divorce, or try to take a lot of the things here in the house as a way to get back at Hiccup for leaving her even though it was her fault that he did. Some women are petty like that, and will try to take everything from the man, but agree to leave it alone if they stay married. Now, if this happens in Hiccup's case; Hiccup takes Olivia to court and tells the judge why he wants the marriage to end. The judge will decide who gets what and he'll sign off on the marriage ending. However, Olivia has no legal right to take anything from Hiccup as everything belongs to him," Britta said.

"That's right, Britt; very good. The house, the cars, everything in the house…Everything Hiccup paid for and has his name on it; Olivia can't touch it. So the judge will rule in Hiccup's favor and grant the divorce while Olivia gets nothing," Mari explained. "But it's still a fight to be had, and can take some time to go through. So we're hoping Olivia just doesn't give Hiccup any trouble,"

"Is…Hiccup going to be okay?" Gobber asked.

"Well, it's hurtful what she did to him and despite it all…Hiccup still loves her, but he won't allow himself to stay with her on the ground of what she did. Not only did she cheat for 7 months, but she got pregnant by the other guy, and in order to hide her unfaithfulness; she lied to Hiccup about the baby she's carrying being his," Henrik sighed. "That's pretty painful considering they were talking about starting a family when Hiccup got home; she threw it on him that she was pregnant…He got all excited to be a father, and it's just a lie,"

"But the feelings he has for her, they'll fade won't they?" Heather inquired.

"Well, he'll move on and perhaps love again…But no, he'll probably never truly stop loving her. Your first love always stays with you in your heart no matter what occurred for things to end. Hiccup started crushing on Olivia when he was about 17, but they didn't start dating until he was almost 19. Olivia was his first kiss, love, girlfriend, the person he had sex with; she became his fiance and wife…But now, all that is gone," Henrik stated.

"However," Mari put her hand on Henrik's now. "He'll never forget her or what used to be; she'll always have a special place in his heart for what they did have, and he got to experience with her while they were in one another's lives. Just like you, Stoick, with you still loving your wife after she's been gone so many years," Mari said softly.

Stoick nodded. "Aye. I understand,"

"Hiccup will be okay. There will be days he wants to be left alone; days he's straight up pissed off. The divorce process is an emotional mess of ups and downs. But all that aside…Right now; Hiccup just needs support, and time," Henrik looked at them. The 11 adult Vikings nodded, understanding fully now. Olivia hurt Hiccup bad, and now it would take time for him to no longer feel the sting of the pain she inflicted. And they hoped that they might be able to help if Hiccup would let them. Right now; he just want to be alone and take some time to himself.


	21. No Hiding It

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

No Hiding It

=Hiccup's POV=  
 ** _[Thursday, 11/23/2017-5 am]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

Hiccup returned around 6 pm, made dinner for everyone, then he stripped down his bed to wash the sheets and comforter. Hiccup had Henrik help him remove the mattress and take it outside to be thrown away. Hiccup made it clear that he didn't want to sleep on the bed after knowing that Olivia and Dane had sex in it for 7 months. The Vikings understood that Hiccup was still upset, but showing more signs of being angry about the situation; this was something that Henrik and Mari warned them would happen. One of the last things to happen before everyone went to sleep on the 22nd was Hiccup saying that he still wanted them over for Thanksgiving, so they said they'd come. Now, it's the 23rd, and Hiccup was fast asleep on the couch while the Vikings were starting to wake up, shower, get dressed, and prepare for the day. Hiccup had told them that Thanksgiving was another holiday that got celebrated with some people, but initially; it's a holiday that the Americans enjoyed a lot.

"How do you think Hiccup will be today?" Astrid asked her friends while the older adults were engaging in their own conversations.

"Hard to say. Yesterday was pretty bad," Dagur mentioned.

"You think we'll get to learn anything new today?" Ruffnut wondered.

"Well, Hiccup said we'd get to see what Thanksgiving was all about," Snotlout informed.

"And he would try to explain all the other holidays too," Vera added in. "I feel bad for him. What Olivia did was heartless…"

"I agree…" Heather nodded. "I've never seen him cry like that,"

"To be fair, none of us have seen Hiccup in 8 years…He was always a quiet kid and tried to keep to himself because he felt like nobody wanted him around. Hiccup has said this; that he felt invisible and the only time people noticed him was when Stoick was scolding him for something. All that aside," Gobber said. "While we Vikings tend not to get emotional unless it's something big…Out here, showing how you feel whether it be anger, joy, sadness, and hurt…I guess it's normal," he added.

"It pains me as his father to know how badly he was hurting yesterday," Stoick sighed. "I know what it's like to lose the one you love," he looked down. It was at this time Hiccup groaned a bit and sat up from his position.

"The difference in our situations, Dad, is that Mom didn't choose to get taken away from you and me; it was out of her control…Olivia, on the other hand, decided to be unfaithful and lie to me; she was in control of all that for 7 months, and only cried about me choosing to leave her when she got caught…" Hiccup stated as he got up and started folding the blanket he'd used; then he moved to the bathroom in his bedroom.

 **. . .**

 ** _[5:45 am]_**

Hiccup emerged wearing a pair of blue jeans, white socks, and a black t-shirt. As always, the dog tags hung around his neck, and he wore a watch on his left wrist.

"Still a bit early for breakfast, but whatever. It's a long day of cooking anyway," Hiccup shrugged while moving into the kitchen to make the morning meal.

"Are we having the usual?" Vera inquired.

"Eggs, bacon, sausage, homefries, and toast?" Hiccup looked at her as Vera nodded. "Unless you want something else? I can do…Cereal, waffles, french toast, pancakes…" he listed off. "You know; I'll just a little bit of each," he informed while getting out the stuff. "The kids will like cereal," he started by getting two bowls, spoons, the milk, and a box of cereal from the cupboard. Hiccup set both up and brought them to the Valda and Halvor; setting the bowls on the living room table. Hiccup worked on the rest of the things for the next half hour, bringing the time to 6:30 am by the time it was all said and done.

"Wow, that looks great," Heather smiled.

"Turns out I'm a pretty good cook. Just wait until dinner tonight when you get the feast of a lifetime," Hiccup chuckled.

"And this is the _Thanksgiving_ you are talking about?" Viggo questioned.

"Thanksgiving isn't the feast itself," Hiccup said. "Come, grab your food and I'll explain," he instructed. The 11 Vikings got their breakfast and sat down around the dining room table while Valda and Halvor stayed in the living room to watch cartoons that Hiccup put on for them. "Thanksgiving is just the name of the holiday; the purpose of this day is to be with family and friends, being thankful for what you have. The dinner is just for everyone to sit around and enjoy each other's company,"

"What kinds of things are we having for dinner? Is it stuff we've tried yet?" Fishlegs asked curiously.

"Well, some of it you have. There's going to be turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, broccoli, bread with butter, stuffing, salad…Oh, there's going to be so much food you'll only want to sleep afterward. But that's just dinner; we have dessert too. Most of that is pudding, pie, cheesecake…I know a lot of that doesn't make any sense to you, but it will later. Just trust me," Hiccup assured while taking a bite of his pancakes; then a sip of coffee. The Vikings knew Hiccup wouldn't lead them astray, so they would believe in his words that tonight would be awesome.

 **. . .**

 ** _[4 pm]_**

As they lacked the knowledge to help Hiccup in the kitchen with cooking, the Vikings tried to stay out of his way. Hiccup was in charge of cooking the turkey, and all main dishes, but he informed that when others started arriving; they'd be bringing things too because it was a nice gesture to bring something, whether it was main meal or dessert, to a party. Hiccup had music playing through his surround sound, now and then the Vikings would catch him humming or singing along.

There was knocking on the door as Hiccup stopped what he was doing and looked over. "I've told you a million times that you don't have to knock!" he called.

"It's just out of respect, son," Henrik chuckled after walking in with Mari, Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Mari hugged Hiccup tightly.

"Same to you, Mom. And you guys as well," Hiccup returned the embrace; then he hugged his father and siblings.

"We brought Mom's famous apple pie…" Lilly giggled. "She was gonna make cheesecake, but figured the apple was your favorite,"

"Aw, Mom…You didn't have to do that for me, but yes…I love it," Hiccup chuckled as Henrik went and put the pie in the fridge for later.

"Now, what can we help with?" Britta asked.

"Nothing, I got it. Turkey has another half hour, and the rest doesn't take long at all. Seriously…Relax, go sit down. Bryn, Kat, Dag, and Strike Unit should be here soon," Hiccup chuckled.

"Are they coming for dinner and dessert?" Lukas asked.

"Yep. I guess Bryn and Kat's family had emergencies to take care of in the states; they won't be back until Monday," Hiccup informed.

"The more, the merrier," Mari giggled.

"Heard my name. Talking about me again, Haddock?" came Brynjar's voice.

"Only in the highest regards, Lieutenant Holt," Hiccup laughed as he connected hands with Brynjar and the hugged. "Happy Thanksgiving, my friend,"

"You as well," Brynjar nodded.

"Hiccup!" came another female voice as Hiccup smiled seeing the girl standing in the doorway.

"Kat!" Hiccup left the kitchen, quickly hugging her.

"Oh, I've missed you so much!" the girl wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging tightly. Brynjar laughed a little.

"This is my little sister, Katja, Dagny's mother and Hiccup's best female friend. I'd like to claim the title of best male friend," Brynjar bragged.

"That title was claimed by Toothless," Hiccup corrected with a smile as he let go of Katja now and quickly lifted Dagny into his arms as she squeezed him tightly; then put her down.

"Okay, technicality…I claim best human male friend then," Brynjar huffed.

"Alright, that one I can't dispute," Hiccup nodded. "Sorry, Toothless; he's got you there, bud," Hiccup added. The Night Fury snorted a bit; then used his tail to knock Hiccup's feet out from under him, causing Hiccup to hit his back hard. "Ow…" Hiccup groaned. Toothless gave a throaty chuckle of victory.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" Vera inquired.

"Oh, I'm fine. Toothless is just playing around; he'd never intentionally hurt me. If he were aiming to; he'd just blast me," Hiccup said as he forced himself off the floor. Toothless opened his mouth now. "THAT WAS NOT AN INVITATION, TOOTHLESS!" he said quickly. The Night Fury snickered at him. "Useless reptile…" Hiccup smiled as he pressed his forehead to Toothless's before jumping on his back and Toothless sat back on his hind legs while Hiccup scratched under his neck and Toothless relaxed, sticking his tongue out.

"Unka, I watch Moana?" Dagny asked.

"If it's okay with your mother," Hiccup said while climbing off Toothless and looking at Katja.

"It's fine," Katja nodded. Hiccup loaded the DVD into the player and pressed the button for it to start. Dagny frowned a bit as Hiccup chuckled.

"Don't worry. Uncle Hiccup knows what part you wanna see," Hiccup changed scenes to the part he knew Dagny loved.

"Unka sing?" Dagny asked.

"Alright, just the one; then I have to finish cooking," Hiccup pulled Dagny into his lap and turned the movie up a bit more. _"I know a girl from an island; she stands apart from the crowd. She loves the sea and her people; she makes her whole family proud. Sometimes the world seems against you; the journey can leave a scar. But scars can heal and reveal just where you are,"_ _Hiccup started._

 _"_ _The people you love will change you. The things you have learned will guide you. And nothing on Earth can silence, the quiet voice still inside you. And when that voice starts to whisper; Moana; you've come so far. Moana listen, do you know who you are?"_ It was the first time the Vikings ever heard Hiccup sing, and Dagny adored it.

" _Who am I? I am a girl who loves my island, and the girl who loves the sea. It calls me. I am the daughter of the village Chief. We are descended from voyagers, who found their way across the world. They call me. I've delivered us to where we are. I have journeyed farther. I am everything I've learned and more. Still, it calls me!"_ Dagny got excited, clapping her hands.

" _And the call isn't out there at all; it's inside me. It's like the tide, always falling and rising! I will carry you here in my heart. You remind me; that come what may, I know the way! I am Moana!"_ _Hiccup sang as he nuzzled his nose to Dagny's._

"Again! Again!" Dagny cheered.

"No, I told you one time, Princess," Hiccup reminded as he set her on the couch and stood up.

"Later?" Dagny asked.

"If you're a good girl," Hiccup said. Dagny nodded and sat back to watch the rest of the movie. Valda and Halvor had joined in doing the same now. Hiccup shook his head and went back to the kitchen to keep cooking. The door to the house opened as Hiccup's 6 unit members strolled in.

"We saw all that," Davyn chuckled.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"You singing for Dagny," Eirik mentioned.

"I kind of only do it for her," Hiccup shrugged.

"Bull. You'll sing for your child when he or she gets here in 6 months," Sigvard laughed. Henrik whipped around quickly; the others did the same.

"Where is your wife anyway?" Oivind inquired. Hiccup had stopped what he was doing, and his eyes were closed before he lowered his head and sighed.

"Hiccup?" Jolgeir questioned. Brynjar looked at Henrik who was bringing his hand across his neck and shaking his head no to them; then he saw Mari and Britta both mouthing the words to stop. Hiccup's hand tightened into a fist as Brynjar hand-motioned for the males to sit down as he went next to Hiccup.

"What happened?" Brynjar questioned.

Hiccup used his hand to wipe his eyes before taking a breath and went back to slicing potatoes. "I left her," Hiccup finally said. Brynjar took the knife from Hiccup and moved it off to the side.

"Talk, Hiccup. I'm asking as your friend, but I will make it an order if I have to," Brynjar stated.

Hiccup put his hands on the counter with his head down. "I left her because she cheated on me for 7 months while I was in Afghanistan," Brynjar and the others who hadn't known about this gasped in shock. "She got drunk, hooked up with someone else and then kept doing it to fill the void of me being gone. And worse…She got pregnant by him; then tried to pass it off as mine to cover up what she did. The truth came out at yesterday's appointment when the doctor said Olivia was 15 weeks and 3 days along, not the 11 weeks and 6 days that she made me believe she was. So I left her, and we're getting a divorce,"

"Hiccup, why didn't you tell us about this?" Brynjar inquired.

"I didn't want to spend all day today crying or being pissed off like I was yesterday…I just wanted a happy day with family and friends…I didn't want to think about what she did, not today…" Hiccup informed. "So can we please just leave it alone?"

"That's fine, son," Henrik said as he encouraged the others to nod and agree, but basically telling them that yesterday was really bad.

"Yeah, of course, Hic. You need anything; you don't hesitate to ask," Sigvard stated. Hiccup grabbed the knife and got back to work, clearly showing that his mood wasn't good anymore. Brynjar moved into the living room looking at Henrik now.

"How was he yesterday?" Brynjar asked.

"Just leave it alone…Yesterday was bad; he broke down for half an hour…He won't even sleep in the bedroom until the new mattress comes; she hurt him deeply," Henrik whispered. Brynjar nodded as did the members of Strike Unit. "Son, do you need any help?" he asked. Hiccup never answered as he was just standing there breathing deep and fast. "Hiccup?" Henrik tried.

"Hic?" Oivind inquired now. Hiccup seemed like he had a clammy sweat going on, and he seemed confused.

Hiccup let go of the knife and brought a hand to his head. "Hiccup? Hey…What's wrong?" Eirik said quickly. Without warning, Hiccup just dropped to the floor unconscious.

"Hiccup!" Brynjar and Henrik hurried into the kitchen; the others made their way closer as well.

"Out of the way. Don't crowd him!" Mari demanded as she got to Hiccup's side to check his pulse and breathing. "Hiccup? Hiccup? Come on, baby…Wake up…" Mari tried lightly.

"What happened?" Stoick asked.

"Hiccup fainted, and we don't know why," Brynjar said.

"If he's not up in a minute…I'm calling an ambulance…" Mari stated firmly. Hiccup had been out for a minute and thirty seconds before he began to show signs of coming to. Hiccup turned his head from side to side a bit as he struggled to open his eyes. "That's it…Come on, Hiccup…It's alright,"

"M-Mom?" Hiccup got out as he slowly opened his eyes.

"I'm here….It's okay," Mari said gently as Hiccup forced himself to sit up and look around. "Why…Is everyone around me?"

"You…fainted, Hiccup," Katja said with concern.

"I did?" Hiccup stared as the rest nodded.

"You just hit the floor," Brynjar added. "Are you okay? That's…Not something you normally do; just pass out at random?"

"It's emotional stress," Henrik sighed. "You haven't had any time to relax since you've been home, Hiccup really. Afghanistan, Archipelago, losing friends, now all this…You need to sit down and take a breather, son,"

"I agree," Mari informed. "I think you need to chill on the couch with some water, Hiccup. Your father and I can finish cooking the meal,"

"Please?" Henrik asked. Hiccup sighed and nodded as Henrik helped him up and brought him to the couch to sit down. Davyn brought in a water bottle as they all sat down except for Henrik and Mari, who were finishing the dinner. Hiccup sat back with his eyes closed; it was very clear to see that Hiccup was hurting badly from everything and stressed out. There was absolutely no hiding it, and Hiccup realized that now after fainting. All he wanted to do was get through Thanksgiving dinner; then he would take some more time to rest.


	22. To Be Thankful For

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
** **Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
** **Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

To Be Thankful For

=Normal POV=  
 ** _[Thursday, 11/23/2017-4:35 pm]_** _ **  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

It was scary to see Hiccup hit the floor out of nowhere, but Henrik pointed out that the fainting spell was probably due to emotional stress. Henrik and Mari ordered Hiccup off his feet for a bit while they finished the final touches on the meal. Sadly, Hiccup had been using it as a distraction from what happened, so now that he was sitting; everything was swirling around in his head. Everything on the Afghanistan tour, friends he'd lost, Olivia's unfaithfulness and lying about the baby she carried being his; it's like he couldn't catch a break. Hiccup knew he needed to get it together, but it hurt; it really did, and he was having trouble dealing with it. Hiccup knew that maybe it was time to talk to someone, a counselor or his father. Not today, though. No; this was Thanksgiving, and despite what happened with Olivia only yesterday, Hiccup still had much to be thankful for.

"Dinner!" Mari called cheerfully after she and Henrik set the table with plates, utensils, napkins, and all the food. Sigvard pulled Hiccup to his feet as they all made their way to the dining room.

"Wow; this looks great," Eirik smiled.

"Well, Hiccup did most of the work," Henrik chuckled. "Come. Everyone grab a seat," he motioned for them to come around the table. "Son, I believe as this is your house; you get head of the table," Hiccup sat down in his place and put both of his hands out. Britta held Hiccup's right as the rest going around the table connected their hands until it reached the Vikings who weren't sure what was happening.

"Why is everyone holding hands?" Snotlout asked.

"It's how we say grace," Katja informed.

"Name of the holiday is Thanksgiving; this is how we give thanks. So hold hands and bow your head," Hiccup told them. Vera acted first as she put her hand in Hiccup's left; then the others linked hands and lowered their heads as the rest did.

"Go ahead, son," Mari told Hiccup. Taking a breath, Hiccup lowered his head.

"Dear Odin above; we thank you for friends, family, and the food we are about to receive. Also, we send our thanks and prayers to the members of the military that we've lost and pray that those still serving will return home safely. In your name, we ask this…" Hiccup said. Everyone raised their head and let go of each other's hands. "Dig in," he smiled. Not long after, everyone began getting a little bit of everything on their plates and started eating. Hiccup was still a bit miserable, but having everyone together like this cheered him up.

 **. . .**

 ** _[5:15 pm]_**

After 45 minutes of eating and enjoying everything, Hiccup started to clean things up and put away the remaining food. Mari was going to stop him, but Henrik shook his head.

"He's trying to stay busy, so he doesn't think about it, Mar…" Henrik sighed.

Katja got up and decided to start helping Hiccup out. "Kat, I got it,"

"And so do I," Katja smiled.

"Well, as there's no point in arguing with you," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Damn right," Katja grinned. The two of them worked on putting leftovers away in plastic containers; then into the fridge. After that; they began clearing away dishes and rinsing them off to go in the dishwasher.

"We'll take care of the table," Jolgeir offered as he and a few others started having the rest move away and they took out the leaflets and pushed the table back to its smaller 4-person seating arrangement. Everyone was sitting in the living room while Hiccup and Katja cleaned up the rest.

"So how's the baby?" Hiccup asked Katja now.

"Good. I'm almost 9 weeks along…" Katja replied lightly.

"That's great," Hiccup said while looking back to the dishes he was working on. "Dagny excited to be a big sister?"

"Over the moon about it," Katja nodded. "She's hoping it's another girl; I personally want a boy," she confessed.

"Yeah? What does Dane want?" Hiccup inquired, just for the sake of keeping the conversation going.

"He doesn't care," Katja looked down a little. "He didn't even want another baby, but he didn't listen to me when I said I needed my birth control refilled. Then he came home in a bad mood, drunk, and horny…So yeah. That's how I got pregnant again,"

"You know if you aren't happy with him, you can leave, Kat. You can go to your mom's, Bryn's…Even here. You know I have a couple of extra rooms," Hiccup reminded.

"I know, thank you, Hiccup…But I'm okay. Dane may have his moments, but I know he loves Dagny, me, and he'll come around with the new baby," Katja informed. Hiccup knew he had to say something to her; what kind of a friend would he be if he didn't? Hiccup sighed as he shut off the water and dried his hands when the dishes were finished.

"Kat…Come with me," Hiccup told her. Katja blinked a few times as she nodded and followed Hiccup to his bedroom. Once in, Hiccup closed the door.

"What's wrong, Hiccup?" Katja asked.

"Kat, you're my best friend, and I can't keep this from you. I'm divorcing Olivia because she was cheating on me for 7 months with Dane…" Hiccup admitted. Katja's eyes widened a little; then she looked off to the side. "The baby Olivia is pregnant with…Is Dane's. Olivia confessed this to me yesterday when I cornered her about why her sonogram showed she was 15 weeks and 3 days along when I believed she was supposed to be going on 12 weeks," he closed his eyes.

"Hiccup…Hiccup, it's okay," Katja put her hand on his arm. "Thank you for confirming for me what I've had my suspicions about for a while. I had a feeling Dane was cheating, but I couldn't prove it, and I certainly never thought it would be Olivia he was hooking up with," she stated lightly.

"I didn't want to stress you out or cause a problem between you two, but what kind of friend am I if I didn't tell you that your boyfriend was cheating on you with my soon-to-be ex-wife. And that she's carrying his baby," Hiccup sighed more.

"Hiccup, like I said…I had a feeling he was cheating on me, and now, you've confirmed it for me. So thank you. I will deal with Dane, and if you need anything; you let me know, okay? I know how excited you were to become a father…And I'm sorry that Olivia hurt you this way. You know I'll let you take Dagny any time if you just wanna have those moments of spending time with a child who sees you as an uncle. I know it's not the same, but Dagny being around you brings out your brightest smile in my opinion. And when I give birth to this little guy or girl; you can babysit any time you want. You know I won't mind the break," Katja informed.

"Thanks, Kat. If Dane gives you any shit…You call me, and I knock his ass out for you. You sure you're gonna be alright with him? I know he has a temper…I don't like him, Kat. I didn't like him before all this cheating shit, but now I really can't stand him, and I worry for your safety," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, I'm a big girl…I can handle him," Katja smiled and hugged Hiccup. "Thank you for telling me the truth. Now, it's still Thanksgiving, and we should get back out there. I know Dagny is looking forward to some cuddle time with her favorite uncle," Hiccup nodded as the two walked out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Brynjar asked.

"Nothing, Brynjar. You'll be happy to know I'm leaving Dane," Katja stated with a roll of her eyes.

"Really? Finally, you're going to listen to Hiccup and me that he's a fucking asshole?" Brynjar got excited.

"Oh, shut up," Katja glared.

"Seriously, are you leaving him?" Brynjar asked.

"After what Hiccup told me, yes. I had my suspicions, but he confirmed I was right," Katja mumbled. "And why are you excited for this. Dane is your best friend,"

"Was until the day you told me that he made you cry with his hurtful words. That is not how a man treats the woman he claims to love," Brynjar huffed. "So what did Hiccup say to make you change your mind?"

"Can I tell him?" Katja looked at Hiccup.

"It's going to come out sooner or later…" Hiccup sighed. "The person Olivia was cheating on me with was Dane…And Olivia is pregnant with his child,"

"What?!" Brynjar exclaimed.

"Big brother, settle down. As I said, I had a feeling Dane was cheating, and Hiccup confirmed it for me with all this. I will be leaving Dane, and make arrangements for the children," Katja remarked.

"If he gives you any trouble…You call me," Brynjar warned.

"Yes, yes…I know. Hiccup said the same thing," Katja sighed. "Everything will be fine," she stated.

"You look like you need a stiff drink, Hiccup" Jolgeir mentioned. "Good thing we come prepared," he held up a bottle of Fireball Whiskey and Bacardi. Oivind had the cola, and Sigvard held up a 30 pack of beer.

"And we brought you this," Oivind handed Hiccup a 12 pack of Ceres Red Eric bottles.

"You would bring me the beer with the depiction of a Viking on it…" Hiccup mumbled.

"Well, I mean…" Eirik started.

"Shut it," Hiccup warned with an unamused look in his green eyes.

"I was only going to say that it's your favorite despite the image on the bottle…" Eirik stated quietly. Jolgeir handed Hiccup a shot glass, and then the rest of the Strike Unit, Brynjar, and Henrik got one. At the same time, they clinked glasses and drank them back. Each of them grabbed a beer and sat back to relax.

"So, I don't get how this happened. How did those two ever hook up? She had to be drunk man," Davyn said. "Dane and Olivia couldn't stand one another,"

"Yeah, the first time it happened; she was. Olivia went out with friends in May, a couple of weeks after we left for Afghanistan. She got drunk, Dane was there, and they ended up back here, wasted, and fucking," Hiccup mumbled.

"Alright, makes sense…But the rest?" Brynjar asked.

"Olivia planned to tell me because apparently when she and Dane woke up the next morning; they argued. Dane somehow, no idea how, got it into her head that drunk or not, she enjoyed it with him, and he fixed her loneliness of me being away. He convinced her not to tell me, because how would I ever know. So they continued to hook up every couple of days for 7 months until the start of September. Where low and behold, Olivia missed her period the day before I got home. She took a test and found out she was pregnant but hid it until after I left," Hiccup explained.

"So…She got pregnant…When, August?" Katja inquired.

"According to the doctor, August 21st. Olivia hid it until I got home a few weeks ago, and sprung it on me that she was pregnant and made me believe it was mine because we had sex before I went back to Afghanistan," Hiccup took a drink of his beer.

"How did she even think that would work?" Sigvard asked.

"Olivia figured that she would just give birth in May and say the baby was early. This is what she told me when I cornered her yesterday after the appointment. That's how I found out something was up; her sonogram pictures showed 15 weeks and 3 days, not 11 weeks and 6 days like she told me she was. I asked the doctor, and the doctor told me everything. So when we got back here; I asked straight out," Hiccup took a drink.

 ** _/Flashback; 11-22-17/_**

 _After the Vikings and Henrik left, Hiccup faced Olivia with a stern stare in his green eyes._

" _Hiccup? What's wrong?" Olivia asked._

" _Olivia. Did you cheat on me while I was deployed?" Hiccup asked._

 _Taken aback by the question, Olivia gasped. "What? Hiccup, no. I would never,"_

" _I want you to think very carefully about that question, and answer me again. This time, with the truth. Did you cheat on me while I was in Afghanistan?" Hiccup inquired again._

 _Olivia hesitated a moment but shook her head. "No, Hiccup. I didn't cheat on you,"_

 _Hiccup closed his eyes while taking a deep breath. Suddenly; they opened and narrowed at her. "So you think you can lie to me, do you?"_

" _Hi-Hiccup…I never cheated, I swe-," Olivia began._

" _LIAR!" Hiccup snapped angrily as Olivia backed up a little. "You cheated on me, and that baby isn't even mine!"_

" _Hiccup, baby…Please, just calm down. It's been a hard couple of days for you, and you're not thinking clearly," Olivia tried._

" _I don't need to think clearly when the proof is on paper! Your sonograms sold you out, Olivia; they read that you're 4 days away from being 16 weeks pregnant! And your doctor confirmed that for me when I asked why it didn't say 11 weeks and 6 days! You got pregnant on the 21st of August; I wasn't even home, so tell me how the fuck that baby is mine?!"_

 _Olivia said nothing as she was caught._

" _Last fucking time…Did you cheat on me?" Hiccup glared._

 _Olivia looked down. "Yes…" she replied, defeated._

" _Why? Why would you do this to me?" Hiccup asked._

" _I-It was just a drunken night; I-I didn't mean for it to go this far," Olivia cried now._

" _This far?" Hiccup stared. "So it's happened more than once?" Olivia nodded to him, knowing that she would only make him angrier if she lied. "How long has this been going on, Olivia?"_

" _I-I went out with friends in May…A-And got drunk," Olivia started to tell him._

" _M-May? MAY?! You've been cheating on since then?!" Hiccup raged. Olivia shook at his anger._

" _I-I got drunk, Hiccup…A-And the next morning; I-I was going to tell you, but the guy said that it could be our secret and he'd…keep me company while you were away because he knew I was probably lonely and missing you a lot…" Olivia stammered._

 _Hiccup stopped, staring at her in shock and disbelief. "So you chose sex with someone else over telling your husband the truth? And this guy knocked you up? What did you plan to do, Olivia? Play off that the kid is mine until you give birth early, and just blame it on sometimes the baby is ready to come out when it does?" he pushed._

" _I-I thought-," Olivia started._

" _Oh, my Gods; that's exactly what you were going to do…" Hiccup stared at her before his eyes narrowed again. "Don't you think this guy would want his kid if he knew?"_

" _H-He does…He doesn't care and told me to pass it off as yours," Olivia confessed._

" _Who is he, Olivia? Because this person sounds like he knows you and me to be able to say he knew you were missing your deployed soldier husband, so he isn't some random guy…" Hiccup asked._

" _I-It's Dane…" Olivia lowered her head. Hiccup froze._

" _Dane? Dane as in Katja's boyfriend?" Hiccup questioned as Olivia nodded. "You've been fucking him in our bed behind my back for 7 months and pregnant with his child, now trying to pass it off as mine?!"_

" _Hiccup…Please, I'm so sorry…I'd do anything to take it back!" Olivia sobbed._

" _It's a little too late for I'm sorry and regrets now. The first time, I might have been able to forgive if you had told me the truth. But you continued to do it…For 7 months, Olivia. You were very well aware of your actions…" Hiccup said quietly, turning his head from her._

" _Y-You're not going to forgive me?" Olivia asked quickly._

" _How can I? You cheated on me for 7 months. You made me believe you were pregnant with our child when it's Dane's. And you clearly didn't care at all about the fact you were unfaithful to me, the things you did with Dane, or that this kid wasn't mine as long as you hadn't been caught. We took vows to love and honor one another until death do us part…And you have broken yours, Olivia, and more than once as this has been going on a while," Hiccup stated._

" _Hiccup…Please…I'll never do it again. I-I do love you, and only you," Olivia whimpered._

" _No. No, you don't. And that can be proven by the fact this had continued for 7 months, sober when you knew what you were doing and had no regard for me because you didn't think I'd ever find out. You fucked him in our bed, Olivia. And tell me…Because I'm curious…I got home in September for leave…We had two weeks together until I went back to Afghanistan…Were you fucking him after I left?" Hiccup inquired._

" _Wh-What?" Olivia asked quickly._

" _Did you go back to having sex with Dane after I left in September?" Hiccup stared at her again, angrily._

 _Olivia lowered her head. "Yes. W-We made an agreement to meet up here every couple of nights…But when you got home early, I called things off with him…"_

" _So…You would have continued to screw him behind my back until I got home in April had my tour not been interrupted by transferring to the Archipelago to deal with that matter? You'd still be cheating on me…And have told me the baby is mine? Is that what I'm hearing?" Hiccup looked at her._

 _Olivia didn't answer._

" _ANSWER ME!" Hiccup yelled this time._

" _Yes! Yes! If you hadn't come home early…I'd still be hooking up with him," Olivia said instantly, afraid of his tone._

" _The reasoning that you were drunk is no longer valid…Because if it hadn't been Dane, it would have been someone else. You admitted that you agreed to do it because you were lonely and missed me. So because I'm busy fighting a war…And can't be home to fuck you every couple of days…You immediately jump into our bed with the first person you could…Again, if it had only happened once, maybe I could have forgiven it…But this, Olivia…7 months, same guy, and because he told you not to say anything and could fix your needs…You agreed, got knocked up and lied to me…And would have continued to had I not come home a few weeks ago…" Hiccup informed turning from her._

" _Hiccup…Hiccup, please. I'll do anything…I-I don't want to lose you. We can work this out with some-," Olivia held his arm, but Hiccup jerked away._

" _No. No, we can't work this out, Olivia. One drunken mistake, yes…But this…No. You continued to do it when Dane told you to keep it a secret and say the baby was mine. You agreed to all that, and to fuck him every couple of days. No, that's unforgivable, Olivia! We are done," Hiccup said coldly._

" _Hiccup…Please…No, don't end it…W-We have so much time put in…" Olivia begged._

" _And 7 months of unfaithfulness is enough to outweigh the 3 years we've been together, and 2 of which were us married. I can see how much our time in meant to you…" Hiccup scoffed._

" _It means everything to me. I love you! I love you so much," Olivia cried more._

" _Dane's cock means everything to you; that's what you love. You only love me when I'm around…And since how that can't be all the time because I'm a soldier who fights in the wars…You can't love me all the time. You just replace me as my father replaced me as Heir with my half-siblings because I'd left Berk. So, thanks for that. No. I'm done, Olivia." Hiccup remarked._

" _No…No, don't say that…Please don't say it," Olivia pleaded._

" _Pack your clothing and personal hygiene items; then get out. You have 30 minutes. I want a divorce, Olivia…And I don't want to see you again," Hiccup said firmly as he walked away from her._

 ** _/End Flashback/_**

"HICCUP!" his friends shouted at him. Hiccup snapped out of his flashback from yesterday and looked at them.

"Dude…You zoned out halfway through the talk about what happened?" Sigvard mentioned.

"Sorry…Was remembering the conversation," Hiccup admitted.

"Hiccup, it's okay to be upset about what happened," Katja informed. "At least she can't hurt you anymore, just as you told me about Dane, and now I can leave him for cheating on me. So really, we all make out better, and one day we'll meet people who won't hurt us and be able to give us all of them, not half or only out of convenience," she reminded gently.

"You know what, you're right, Kat. Sure, it hurts, but at least the truth came out. I'll get over it with time, probably when the divorce is finalized. For everything else," Hiccup smiled. "Despite what Olivia did to me; I still got a lot to be thankful for, and all of it is right here in this room now," he added.

"Amen to that," Henrik nodded.

"That's something I'll drink to," Davyn agreed as the friends raised their drinks and tapped them together before taking a long sip. Hiccup would get over things with more time, but right now; he was happy to be with his friends and family.


	23. New Love

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

New Love

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Tuesday, 12/5/2017-9:00 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

It will have been two weeks since Thanksgiving on the 7th of December. Not much had happened between then and now; Hiccup still spent his days teaching the 13 Vikings about modern life. Hiccup had begun to teach them how to run kitchen items like the stove, microwave, dishwasher, and oven. The group of 13 had the living room and bathroom down, and Hiccup had to admit that he was impressed with how fast they were picking things up. Of course, Hiccup wasn't teaching them nearly the amount of things he had to learn in just a year, but for only just under a month; the Vikings were good pretty good. Hiccup met with the lawyer, Jonas Oster, a few days after Thanksgiving; it seemed the divorce shouldn't be a problem as Hiccup had proof he owned everything, even the car that Olivia too, but he was willing to part with it as he had his dragon.

Jonas and Hiccup took care of all the paperwork, and Jonas informed that he would deliver them to Olivia to sign, once that happened; things would be over unless Olivia fought him, in which case, it would go to court, and the judge would settle things. Thus far, Jonas has not contacted Hiccup about Olivia signing her place on the divorce papers, which meant that Jonas hadn't found her yet, or Olivia was refusing to sign. Hiccup knew Olivia didn't want to divorce, but Hiccup didn't care; he wouldn't stay married to her after what she did, and nobody blamed him either. Currently, it's 20 days until Christmas. For the Vikings, they knew it as Snoggletog, and the two customs weren't all that different. Today, Hiccup felt like perhaps they were ready to see the places beyond his house.

The group had just finished breakfast and Hiccup was cleaning up from it.

"So what today, Hiccup?" Vera asked excitedly.

"Well," Hiccup dried his hands before putting the rag down. "I think I'll take you out into the city," he said.

"Really? You think we're ready?" Heather asked, also happy.

"Well, I think you've…Adapted enough that I can take you into public and you won't get overwhelmed at the things you see," Hiccup stated.

"Are we still allowed to ask questions?" Dagur inquired.

"Of course, I expect it. But you've seen enough of modern things that you won't freak out about anything outside of the house," Hiccup informed. "Let's get up and ready; we'll leave at 10:30 am," he added. The Vikings nodded and began to get ready as Hiccup relaxed in his chair with Toothless's head on his lap. Hiccup was petting him, and Toothless was purring in contentment.

 **. . .**

 _ **[11:00 am]**_

Arriving in Copenhagen 20 minutes later, Hiccup found a place to park, and everyone got out.

"Welcome to Copenhagen; this is the capital and largest city in Denmark. There's hotels, restaurants, parks, malls, sight-seeing…You could spend days here and not even break the surface of everything it holds. Hell, I've been here for 8 years and still haven't seen everything," Hiccup chuckled. "I get a nice sky-view with Toothless, though,"

"What's it like?" Astrid asked.

"What? Flying?" Hiccup looked at them.

"Yeah?" they nodded.

"You feel free," Hiccup said. "That's the best way I can describe it; that's how I felt the first time I flew with Toothless. Come on; we're burning daylight," he had them follow him. "Well, what do you wanna do first?"

"What is there to do?" Fishlegs inquired.

"Depends. I can take you to the library, zoo, aquarium, sight-seeing at some of Denmark's historic landmarks. Whatever you wanna see," Hiccup stated.

"Now…What are those first three things you said?" Viggo asked with a finger up.

"Library is a place filled floor to ceiling with books. You have to be quiet too, but it's just a place people go to research or read," Hiccup explained. "The aquarium is…A big building that people can go to to see the ocean-life. Fish, eels, sharks. All safely see them, mind you. You look through thick glass tanks and can see everything that you would if you were underwater. And the zoo is all wildlife, land animals,"

"Those last two sound like a good time," Gobber smiled.

"If that's where you wanna go, then come on. We'll do the aquarium first, then grab lunch and do the zoo," Hiccup informed.

 **. . .**

 _ **[12:45 pm]**_

"That was awesome!" Snotlout said as they exited the aquarium.

"I can't believe we touched a baby shark!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"There's so much beneath the water," Ruffnut added.

"Is that what it's like being underwater?" Heather inquired.

"Well, in theory, yes," Hiccup nodded. "Pretty cool, right? Henrik took me when I was 15, and not too long ago with Dagny," he stated.

"I never knew there were so many kinds of colorful fish!" Vera giggled.

"It was a sight to see," Stoick nodded. "Thank you, Hiccup,"

"Hey, just doing my job," Hiccup shrugged. "Come on, let's get some lunch. I know the perfect place to bring you; their food is to die for," he chuckled. Hiccup brought them to a restaurant and taught them about how everything worked with picking what you wanted to eat and then other people would could it for them. It took a bit to order and what not because Hiccup had to explain a lot of the dishes to them. By 2:45 pm, they were leaving the restaurant and headed for the zoo.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:30 pm]**_

"Okay, much cooler! There are so many different kinds of animals!" Vera clapped her hands.

"How come we don't see these kinds of things in the Archipelago?" Fishlegs wondered while they exited the zoo next and headed for the truck.

"I have my suspicions that it's just too cold for them. A lot of these animals prefer hotter habitats," Hiccup shrugged while they reached the vehicle. Just then Hiccup's phone rang as he pulled it out and answered it. "Hey, Dad," he greeted. "I'm with the Vikings; took them to the aquarium, zoo, and out for lunch. What's up, you sound worried?" a pause. "Wait, hang on! You saw a what?" more pause. "No…I've never heard of that before, not even when I was living in the Archipelago…Just…relax. I'll grab Toothless and be right there. Keep students and staff back," he hung up. "Load up," he ordered.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked while they started climbing into the back.

"Either my dad is seeing things…Or we might have finally found another Night Fury…" Hiccup said before he climbed into the driver's seat and started it up.

"Are you taking us to your house first?" Snotlout asked.

"Unfortunately, no…I'm needed at the school now, so you're coming with me," Hiccup pulled out of his parking space and headed down the road. 10 minutes later; they arrived as Hiccup parked quickly and got out of the truck. "You follow, you do as your told, and this is not the best time to ask questions," he stated. The 11 adults nodded and followed Hiccup in.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:45 pm]  
**_ _[Demark's Dragon Training Academy]_

"Hiccup! Oh, thank God…" Henrik said as he approached Hiccup, panting for air.

"Breathe, old man," Hiccup instructed. "Now, what's going on?"

"Hiccup, I'm telling you; it's a Night Fury. This dragon looks exactly like Toothless, just…Slimmer body, smaller face, and ears, silver eyes…And white," Henrik informed.

Hiccup stared at him. "White with silver eyes? That's…No dragon is white except for the albino Night Swarms…" Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, call it whatever you want, but I'm telling you the truth," Henrik informed.

A female with white hair and pink eyes hurried towards them. "Frieda?"

"Hiccup, he's telling you the truth. I saw it too…We think it's a female because it's very hostile, and looks just like Toothless," Frieda said quickly.

Hiccup rubbed his chin. "It can't be a Night Fury if it's not black or gray…Otherwise, defeats the title of _Night_ Fury," Hiccup thought more. "Perhaps a subspecies…"

"Hiccup! No time for debating the kind of dragon it is!" Henrik said. "Where's Toothless?"

"Home…" Hiccup revealed.

"You said you were gonna grab him!?" Henrik glared. There was a roar overhead as Hiccup quickly looked up to see the white dragon they were talking about. And it did look dead on like a Night Fury, minus the black.

"Oh, my Gods…He's not the only one…" Hiccup whispered admiring the dragon he saw with his own eyes. "Definitely female," Hiccup pointed out. "And I didn't have time to get Toothless. I'll take care of this, just get everyone somewhere safe. Including them," he referred to the Vikings.

"We're already in the safest place…" Henrik mumbled.

"Then just be quiet…" Hiccup advised as he stepped out more and looked up at the dragon. The female saw Hiccup step out and zeroed in on him; she landed and narrowed her eyes at Hiccup.

"He does know what he's doing, right?" Gobber asked.

"Well…I mean; his methods are a little unorthodox, but yeah, he should be fine…" Frieda stated softly. Hiccup put his hands up slowly.

"Hey…It's okay…I'm not gonna hurt ya, girl," Hiccup tried to get closer. The dragon snarled at him to back up, and Hiccup did so. "I'm just a friend," he tried again. The dragon eyed him suspiciously before darting at him. "Okay, plan B…" Hiccup dodged to the right and rolled back up to his feet. The dragon growled, baring her fangs. "Easy…Easy…Come on; I didn't attack you," Hiccup said. The female shot towards him again as Hiccup dashed forward to get under her and escape before she cornered him. The dragon roared loudly and turned quickly to face Hiccup again.

"Hiccup! Abort!" Henrik demanded. "We'll just tranquilize her!"

"No. I got this. I trained Toothless, and he was just as stubborn…" Hiccup reminded.

"Toothless was wounded in the cove, unable to use his abilities effectively due to a hurt tail fin and front paw!" Henrik argued. "Back up, you're going to get yourself killed!"

"Dad, I can do this!" Hiccup yelled as Stoick's eyes widened a little. He recalled years back that Hiccup begged him with the same words. "You have to trust me! This is what I'm good at!"

Henrik panted a little, but finally, he nodded. "I know you can…I know you can do it, son. I trust you. Just…Please…Be careful," Hiccup nodded to him as he turned his attention back to the white Night Fury.

"Alright…Come on, girl. It's okay…See? No weapons, nothing at all. You can trust me…" Hiccup said gently, getting near her once more. "I don't want to hurt you," he added. The dragon snarled and fired a purple blast at his feet, and it threw Hiccup onto his back. The white Night Fury got in the air and prepared to strike from above.

"Hiccup! Get out of there!" Frieda screamed with worry. Out of nowhere, Toothless zoomed in and ran into the white Night Fury, causing her blast to miss Hiccup by a few feet.

"Toothless!" Hiccup smiled. The two dragons faced one another, the white one recovered as Toothless was glaring at her intently. The white dragon roared at Toothless, and he gave a much more powerful one back. The white seemed to cease, and bow her head a little. Toothless huffed, motioned his head to the ground at her. The white dragon landed as did Toothless.

"What's happening?" Astrid asked.

"I think Toothless told that white dragon to back off and cut it out," Snotlout remarked.

"That's exactly what he did," Henrik nodded. "Toothless will not allow anyone to harm Hiccup, whether they be a human or fellow dragon," Hiccup got up now and neared Toothless as the white dragon began to growl at Hiccup again. Toothless snarled as he stepped in front of Hiccup protectively, cutting the white Night Fury's path off; the look in Toothless's eyes clearly said; _Hurt him, and I hurt you_.

"Good work, Toothless…" Hiccup rubbed his head. The white dragon growled again, making a dash for Hiccup but Toothless slammed her back forcefully. This time, Toothless got on a low crouch, growling as his back scales split and he took on the blue glow from that day on Berk about a month ago. Hiccup backed up a little as Toothless and the white Night Fury was staring one another down, snarling at one another.

"Why is he glowing blue?" Astrid asked. "He did that on Berk too,"

"I call it his Alpha Mode. When Toothless does that; it's usually to command other dragons that he's more powerful than they are. As such; they back down and listen to him. That's what he's doing to the white Night Fury now; establishing dominance and authority that this is his turf," Hiccup explained. The white dragon tried to step Hiccup's way once more, and Toothless gave a warning growl, stomping his foot down and cutting her off again. This time, the white dragon lowered her head and closed her eyes. "And that's a submit,"

"Meaning?" Gobber asked.

"It means she recognizes that Toothless is the stronger, and the boss around here when it comes to dragons. The white Night Fury understands that Toothless isn't going to let her hurt me, and she better give up, or he'll force her to," Hiccup said while moving next to Toothless gently. "Nice job, bud," Hiccup rubbed his head. "Can you tell her that we're okay?" Toothless looked to the female now, warbling a little. The white Night Fury seemed to reply with a lower croon as she looked at Hiccup once more. "It's alright…You can trust me," Hiccup said softly now. "Dad…Get me a fish,"

Henrik grabbed one from the bucket and tossed it Hiccup's way as he caught it. Hiccup held it out to the female with both hands. "Here…I bet you're hungry…" Hiccup offered. The white dragon inched closer, hesitant but sniffing and showing curiosity. Finally, she neared and bit down on the fish as Hiccup quickly pulled his hands back to avoid being bitten. The dragon gulped it down in two bites and stared at Hiccup now. "Oh…Please don't do the thing Toothless did…" he pleaded.

The white dragon regurgitated the fish, spitting half back out at Hiccup's feet, then sitting down on her back legs and watching him. "Yep…Definitely part of the Night Fury family, or at least a subspecies to it…" Hiccup sighed as he reached down and picked the half of a fish up and held it. "If I must…" he said while biting into it.

"Oh, my Gods! That's disgusting!" Astrid and Heather screeched.

"Hiccup, that will make you ridiculously sick!" Henrik scolded. Hiccup ignored all comments being made as he swallowed the bite he took. Of course, it came back up, and he covered his mouth but swallowed again.

"S-See? It's all good," Hiccup told the female dragon. The white Night Fury sniffed around him before taking back the fish to eat the rest, seeming satisfied that Hiccup took his bite and ate it. "I won't hurt you, I promise…I'm just a friend to all dragons…You can trust me," Hiccup soothed as he closed his eyes, turned his head, and put his palm out to her. The white dragon looked at Toothless, and he seemed to nod to her that it was okay. The white Night Fury sniffed Hiccup's palm before closing her eyes and pressing her snout to his palm.

Hiccup looked over and smiled as he moved his hand now after she opened her eyes to pull away. The female crooned and pushed into Hiccup, nuzzling against his midsection. "See, now we're friends," Hiccup rubbed the top of her head a bit. Toothless smiled, his teeth now retracted and sitting down as the blue glow had faded. "Thanks, bud," Hiccup rubbed under Toothless's chin as he purred almost. "Alright, go play," he told the two dragons. Toothless and the white dragon moved off to the side and started chasing one another around as Hiccup moved towards the group.

"Well done, son," Henrik patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm not the head trainer for nothing," Hiccup shrugged. "And don't worry about the raw fish…I'll be fine. I did that years ago with Toothless; it's how I gained his trust and showed him I meant no harm to him. I figured the female would do the same," he informed.

"So, I take it she'll be a new addition to the Dragon Manual?" Frieda inquired gently.

"Once I have time to study her and her abilities. She's not a Night Fury, she lacks the colors and has a slightly different appearance. I say she's a subspecies of Night Fury…" Hiccup remarked while looked at the white dragon have fun with Toothless; the two were circling one another, crooning and taking playful bats at one another. Toothless managed to pin her down, then the female rolled Toothless on his back and this continued as Hiccup laughed a little.

"What's so funny?" Dagur asked.

"Nothing," Hiccup said but saw what was happening.

"So…What are we going to call her, species-wise and name?" Henrik inquired.

"Well, she's not a Night Fury…So that's out…" Hiccup rubbed his chin.

"She's a Light Fury," Vera giggled. Hiccup stared at her. "Sorry,"

"No. No…I like that actually. It fits…She's in the Fury family, but she's white…It makes sense to name the species, if there are more out there, something they represent. Yeah, we'll use that. Thanks, Vera," Hiccup said. "Light Fury it is,"

"And her name?" Frieda wondered.

"Well, you came up with the species name, Vera. Would you like to give her an official name?" Hiccup looked at Vera now.

"Lightheart," Vera smiled.

"Lightheart it shall be," Hiccup smiled back.

"Shall I move her into the stables?" Frieda inquired.

"You know…I think I'll take her home with me. She seems to be getting along great with Toothless," Hiccup stated.

"Whatever you say, boss," Frieda shrugged with a smile.

"Toothless! Lightheart! Let's go home!" Hiccup called. The two dragons rushed over to be on either side of Hiccup. "Lead her to the house, bud. I'll meet you there," Toothless licked his cheek and motioned with his head for Lightheart to follow him. The two dragons lifted into the air and headed for the house. Hiccup chuckled a little and started for the truck.

"You still haven't mentioned what's so funny," Gobber remarked.

"Something tells me that Toothless and Lightheart are going to end up mating this year," Hiccup informed. "Those two weren't playing like that cuz their friends; they were dancing and getting to know one another. It's what I'm assuming their courting rituals, meaning that Lightheart accepted Toothless as a potential mate, and he accepted her as the same,"

"Aw! Toothless has a girlfriend!" Vera clapped her hands.

"Bingo," Hiccup nodded to her.

"Isn't that too soon to tell?" Snotlout stated.

"Sometimes you just know who you'll spend the rest of your life with," Vera rolled her eyes.

"Could not have said that better myself," Hiccup replied. Vera missed the step getting into the truck as Hiccup caught her in his arms bridal style. "Got ya," he said as Vera blushed a little.

"Th-Thank you," Vera said bashfully. Hiccup set her down as he offered his hand to help Vera into the back of the truck this time.

"No problem," Hiccup offered a bow then he secured the back of the truck before going around front to start it up. Nobody said it out loud, not even Henrik who had seen everything, but they all could agree that Toothless might not be the only one finding new love.


	24. Unexpected Information

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

 ***Author's Note;** _Alright, so I realized I made an error in years throughout the story. I kept saying Hiccup was 15 in February 2010 when he arrived in Denmark. I was wrong; he was 14. So come Feb 2018; he'll be 22, not 23. I have gone through chapters 1-23 and fixed everything for the timeline. I also added a few new things. So if anyone wants to go back and re-read, you're free to do so. I just wanted everyone to know that chapters 1-23 have been reuploaded and fixed. If you wanna see the fixes, you'll have to go back. Anyway…Enjoy 24! -Nightstar Fury._ *****

Unexpected Information

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 12/15/2017-5:45 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

10 days until Christmas. Hiccup was already teaching the Vikings how things worked for the holiday and informing them that it's much bigger than Thanksgiving. Hiccup broke out the Christmas decorations from storage and began setting everything up at the beginning of the month, which, he ended up missing Drill Weekend on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd because thanks to Brynjar, he got excused from it given what happened with Olivia. Hiccup had kind of wanted to go, but was happy to miss it; he didn't want to bring the Vikings to the base for 3 days while he trained. Perhaps he would bring them to the January one now that they understand more about what took place there. Hiccup introduced the Vikings to going out and getting a real tree; then putting it up and decorating it with garlin and ornaments. Of course, Hiccup had a few moments about Olivia when he found the ones for them about first Christmas together or pictures of their memorable moments as a couple.

Hiccup put those all away and stuck to using normal ornaments of silver, gold, red, and green. Hiccup let the Vikings take part in the festivities by having them put ornaments up, but Hiccup was in charge of the star on top. The tree was set up in front of the big picture window that was in the living room. Hiccup had them help out with decorating the house too. The fireplace was done, lights got hung up on the beams; it looked amazing when everything was finished. The Vikings loved how festive it was, and thanked Hiccup for showing them how much better they could make their Snoggletog back in the Archipelago. Hiccup also taught them about hanging stockings over the fireplace; he only had one for himself, Toothless, and now, Lightheart. The two dragons were getting very close, as Hiccup predicted; they would likely mate this season.

Also, Hiccup had started working on taking down all the pictures of himself and Olivia. Hiccup removed photos on the fireplace mantle, their wedding album, the tapes, things off the wall or shelves from the big day. Hiccup put everything into a big box and labeled it, so he wouldn't forget what it was. Hiccup stashed that in the farthest storage room under a bunch of other things. One day, he would get rid of it, but it wasn't right now. Hiccup knew he still loved her as if they were together, regardless of knowing full well it was over between them. Hiccup couldn't forgive what she'd done, or the awful reasonings she provided as to why. There was no coming back from what happened; it was better to get divorced and go their separate ways instead of staying together in what would be an unhappy marriage where both always knew what happened.

Jonas still hadn't called with an update about reaching Olivia to get her to sign the divorce papers. The reasons were that Jonas could locate or get ahold of her. That made sense to Hiccup; he knew Olivia didn't want to get married and also hadn't known where she would go. Still, Hiccup wanted this divorce finalized, and it was going on almost a month since the filing for it. November 28th had been the day Hiccup met with Jonas, and in about 13 days, it would be a full month. Hiccup still continued to take the Vikings out into the city, and show them around all the bigger places and explain landmarks to them. For the last four days; they had just been in the town of Dragor, the town Hiccup had been living in since he arrived 8 years ago. However, last night, Hiccup spent drinking with his buddies from Strike Unit. The others had left around 1:30 am once they'd sobered up a little, but Hiccup had another 2 beers and a shot before passing out on the couch.

The Vikings, of course, were awake at their normal time of between 5 and 6 am. Hiccup remained on the couch, front down, head facing outward, one leg bent at the knee, an arm over the edge; it was quite the scene to see.

"Safe to say he'll be out until 10 or 11 am," Dagur laughed a bit.

"He was drinking pretty hard," Gobber mentioned. "But seems like this is a weekly occurrence," he added.

"He says he's just hanging with friends," Fishlegs said.

"Yeah, but once you start drinking; you lose control over your thoughts. And if that's the case with Hiccup; I think he starts thinking about Olivia again. Which brings him pain, so he subsequently drinks more to drown out her memory until he can't feel anything except being drunk," Viggo explained.

"Pretty sure he blacked out drunk last night. We saw him stumbling and finally just falling there," Tuffnut reminded.

"Yeah, that was like, around 2 am when that happened," Ruffnut nodded.

"Well, let's try to keep quiet for him," Vera said. "He's probably going to have one of those hangover things," she added. Without warning, Hiccup's cell phone started vibrating on the table just a few inches away from where Hiccup's place was on the couch. Hiccup groaned as he lazily raised his arm and started feeling around for the device. Finally, he got his hand on it and pulled it over towards his ear.

"Haddock here," Hiccup said tiredly with his eyes still closed. "What?" he forced himself to sit up. "HE DID WHAT?!" Hiccup raged quickly. "Where are you?!" he asked. Hiccup got up and moved to the door, opening it to see Katja standing there with Dagny. Hiccup drew the phone down and ended the call seeing her tear-stained and beaten up face.

"I-I didn't…Know where else…t-to go on…short notice…" Katja managed.

"Get inside," Hiccup said quickly as he ushered her inside to his house and closed the door. "Odin above, Kat…What did he do to you?" Hiccup lightly held her chin and looked over everything. "Are you okay? How is Dag? Is the baby okay?"

Katja nodded. "That's the only place he didn't get…" she cried. "Dag is okay…And I'm sure I'll heal,"

"What the fuck happened? I told you to call me!" Hiccup stated.

"I-It happened last night, Hiccup…I told him I was leaving him because of the cheating on me with Olivia, that he got her pregnant…And he just did all this. I-I was too afraid to try and call for help. S-So I waited for him to get drunk and pass out; then I grabbed Dagny and snuck out to get here…Y-You were closest," Katja whimpered. Hiccup wrapped her in his arms as she let go and cried more.

"It's okay…You're safe now…Did you bring anything with you?" Hiccup asked.

Katja shook her head. "Just my phone and Dagny…"

"Alright…Alright. Why don't you take a shower, try to calm down? I'll get you a set of my clothes to wear for now. But you're not going back there, Kat…Not without me," Hiccup told her.

"Okay…" Katja nodded slowly, wiping her eyes. "A-Are you going to hurt him?"

"You don't need to worry about what I'm going to do to him unless he shows up here," Hiccup muttered coldly. "Now, come on…To the bathroom. I got Dagny," he added leading her into his room, then rummaging through a few drawers to get out a pair of sweatpants and a light sweatshirt of his for her. "You remember how to work it?" Katja nodded as he hugged her again, then took a few photos of her face. "This is just for the cops to see, so they know the damage before the shower…He get you anywhere else?"

"Arms, legs…H-He raped me," Katja lowered her head.

"I'm gonna to kill him…" Hiccup growled; then he took a breath. "Just go shower…" he said quietly. Katja nodded as Hiccup exited the room and closed the bedroom door. "Oh…He's dead…I swear to the Gods…He's dead; I'm gonna fucking kill him…" Hiccup paced the room, his hands on his head and breathing heavily.

"Hi-Hiccup? Are you okay?" Vera asked quickly.

"The guy Olivia cheated on me with, Dane; he physically and sexually abused Katja when she tried to leave him for cheating on her with Olivia…" Hiccup clenched his fist.

"I-I get the physical, but sexual abuse?" Heather inquired.

"He raped her…" Hiccup cracked his knuckles. Dagny tugged at his pants leg a few times as Hiccup tried to relax and look down at her.

"Is Daddy gonna hurt Mommy again?" Dagny asked.

"No. No, he won't hurt her again, Princess. Uncle Hiccup and Uncle Brynjar will make sure of it. If your daddy shows up here, Uncle Hiccup is going to hurt him," Hiccup promised. "Do you want to watch cartoons with some breakfast?" Dagny nodded her head as Hiccup brought her to the couch and turned on the TV to cartoons for her; then he got her a strawberry pop-tart. Hiccup moved away from the couch as he got his phone again and dialed a number.

" _Holt here,"_ Brynjar answered.

"Hey, it's me," Hiccup replied.

" _Hic? It's like 0600…What's up?"_ Brynjar asked.

"Guess who showed up at my door 10 minutes ago," Hiccup stated.

" _Um…Your soon-to-be ex-wife? Colden? Uh…Out of ideas,"_ Brynjar yawned.

"Your sister," Hiccup informed.

" _Kat? Why she go there?"_ Brynjar questioned.

"He beat her. Dane beat her when she tried to leave him last night…"Hiccup said.

Silence on the other end.

" _HE DID WHAT?!"_ Brynjar yelled.

"He beat and raped her. Kat waited until Dane was passed out drunk to grab her phone, and Dagny; then escape. She came here because I'm closer," Hiccup explained.

" _I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL HIM!"_ Brynjar screamed in anger.

"Yeah, I said the same thing…But I'm not gonna touch him unless he shows up here. You know he'll either come looking at my house or yours…We're the only two people Kat has when Bren and Kel are out of town," Hiccup reminded.

" _Is Dag okay? And the baby?"_ Brynjar asked, trying to calm down.

"Katja said Dane never went for her stomach, but she should still get seen by a doctor. I'll call over my mother to check her and the baby out…As for Dagny, I don't see anything physical, but hang on…I'll ask," Hiccup set the phone on speaker and knelt in front of his niece. "Princess…Did Daddy hurt you at all last night?"

"Not weally. Daddy gwabbed my arm and pushed me out of his way when I tied to help Mommy…He made me weave her awone while he punished her. Mommy told me it was okay and just to go back to sleep; I saws him hurtin her from my room; he did it in the hallway," Dagny said lightly.

" _Dagny, sweetie…How much of Daddy hurting Mommy did you see?"_ Brynjar asked.

"Um…I wokes up when I heard a woud bang. Mommy was on the floor, and Daddy was hitting her, grabbing her hair, and swamming her head against the wall while she cried. Daddy did dis for a wittle bit, Mommy told me to just stay in my room, and that she was okay. I did, but I heard evything; I heard her ask him to stop a wot of times, she even said pease, but he wouldn't. Daddy said that Mommy wasn't allowed to weave him, and would always be his. He called her names, but I don't member them. Daddy left Mommy on the floor while he walked away saying that she liked it and to stop whining. I came out and gave Mommy my bwanket; then said that as soon as Daddy falls asleep; we're gonna come to Unka Hiccup's house…" Dagny revealed. "Can I has some apple juice, Unka?"

"O-Of course, Princess…" Hiccup grabbed the phone and moved to the kitchen fridge to get a juice box for her. "Here you go," he smiled and handed it to her before stepping away again.

" _I'm going to fucking murder him in cold blood. Get your gun…And your dragons…We're going to beat his ass, shoot him, and let the dragons get rid of the evidence!"_ Brynjar stated.

"Bryn…You know I want to kill him as badly as you do…But we can't. I can't let the dragons attack humans no matter what the reason is…" Hiccup sighed.

" _Hiccup! He pushed Dagny away; then beat and raped my little sister while Dagny saw the whole thing because she wanted to help her mother! I'm going to kill him!"_ Brynjar remarked.

"Bryn! You can't! You'll go to prison, and Kat doesn't need that right now. Dag saw her mother get hurt, but not raped; we can be thankful for that much. We'll get our chance to deal with Dane, and not kill him. Believe me…I got my own bone to pick with him. Just…Get up and come here; you know Kat needs us to get through this. Call Bren and Kel…" Hiccup informed.

" _I'm on my way with Snowstrike,"_ Brynjar said as he ended the call. Hiccup put his phone away. Hiccup rubbed his face and groaned.

"I swear…If Olivia shows up next…I'm going to drink myself back to sleep and forget today ever happened…" Hiccup sighed with his elbows on the counter. "Fuck me…" he put his head on his arms.

"Hiccup?" Katja's voice came to his ears. Hiccup turned and looked at her. "I'm sorry…You've got your own problems going on, and I'm not-," she choked a bit. Hiccup instantly hugged her.

"Relax, breathe…Don't worry about my problems; it's just a divorce. All I'm waiting on is for Olivia to sign the documents; it's not a big deal. I'm much more worried about you, Kat. I called your brother…"

"Did you really?" Katja sighed.

"I had to…" Hiccup reminded.

"Let me guess; you two are gonna go kill Dane, aren't you?" Katja lowered her head.

"If it were legal…Yes," Hiccup stated. "But because it's not; we won't touch him. Unless he shows up here…Then he's free game," he added.

"I expected as much," Katja closed her eyes.

"Aside from what he did to you last night; he still slept with my wife and got her pregnant," Hiccup chuckled. "I'm whooping his ass the first chance I get,"

"You wife agreed to it," Katja rolled her eyes.

"But she would have told me the truth if your asshole of an ex hadn't gotten in her head like the deceptive, manipulative little shit that I've always known he is. I told you I didn't like him, Kat. I'm a good judge of character…I know when someone is bad news. All that aside; I know Olivia chose to do what she did on bullshit reasoning. Her punishment is losing me, and Dane's will be an ass-kicking he won't soon forget…" Hiccup said.

"What am I gonna do, Hiccup?" Katja sighed sadly. "I already basically raise Dagny alone, and she's a handful…How am I gonna take care of her and the new baby…I don't even have a job. Dane paid for the apartment and everything else…" she tried not to cry.

"Hey, hey…First off, you're going to relax, Kat. Second of all; you aren't alone. You got your mom, uncle, Bryn, friends, and me. You know we'll help you any way that we can," Hiccup assured as he hugged her. "Everything is going to be fine,"

No sooner than the words left his mouth, the door burst open as Brynjar arrived. Katja instantly cried against him. "I hope you know he's dead meat if I see him…" Brynjar stated. Katja nodded as Brynjar embraced her tightly. "I want you to see a doctor, Kat. Make sure you and the baby are okay,"

"I-I will…" Katja nodded. "A-Are Mom and Uncle Brenden coming?"

"I called them; they will be here shortly," Brynjar said gently. "I told you he was dangerous…Look what he did to you…"

Katja looked down. "Bryn…L-Last night is not the only time he's abused me…" she confessed.

"What?!" Hiccup and Brynjar shouted.

"I-It's been happening since Dagny turned 3…Dane stopped when I told him I was pregnant, but he was still rough and demanding of me…Dagny and I got sick, so I put off leaving him…But I tried last night, and he just lost it. All the other times were just him smacking me if I talked back, getting mean and harsh if I refused to have sex with him…Last night was just the worst of all the incidents…He told me I was his and couldn't leave…I waited for him to pass out; then we came here…" Katja explained.

"Has he ever raped you before last night?" Hiccup asked.

"A couple of times…I mean, I let him do what he wanted by just laying there, but…I still didn't want it…" Katja said.

"Tell me what he did," Brynjar stated.

"I-I don't want to talk about it right now…N-Not with Dagny here; it's bad enough she had to see Dane abusing me…And I know she heard him raping me…" Katja whimpered a bit.

"You need to tell the cops for sure," Hiccup informed. Katja nodded as Hiccup brought her a water bottle and something to snack on. "I'll make breakfast, but I'm sure you haven't eaten anything since last night," there was knocking on the door now. "Come in!" he called. The door opened to reveal an older woman with strawberry-blonde hair, who looked dead on like Katja, right down to silver eyes. A male was in next, the same silver eyes as the women, but he had black hair.

"Oh, my baby girl!" the woman hurried over to Katja in hysterics. "Look what he's done to you…"

"And this isn't the first time, Antie Kel," Brynjar stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's been doing it for about 11 months,"

"Katja, why didn't you leave him as soon as this happened? Why didn't you tell anyone?" the male asked firmly.

"This is what he did to her for trying to break up with him last night, Brenden," Hiccup revealed. "If I had to take a guess; she was scared to leave because of this outcome, but I agree…You should have said something, Kat. You know we would have helped you get away safely,"

"I want the police called on Dane; I want him arrested!" the female demanded.

"We will, Miss. Oliversen. We're just trying to give Katja a little space to calm down and breathe before starting everything. Dane won't get far…Believe me, Toothless, Lightheart…Any of the dragons can find Dane by scent. Besides…According to Kat, Dane is passed out drunk at the apartment. He'll wake up and come looking for her, and use a bullshit excuse as to why she looks that way," Hiccup vowed.

"Are all three of you okay?" Brenden, the male, asked.

"Katja took the beating but left her stomach alone. Dane only grabbed Dag's arm and pushed her away," Brynjar responded.

"You should still see a doctor, Katja," the female said lightly, caressing Katja's bruised and slightly cut face. Hiccup saw Viggo getting up and moving closer now, looking at Katja's mother.

"Kelda?" Viggo asked as the Katja's mother looked over quickly. "Kelda Oliversen?"

"Yes…How do you know me?" Kelda inquired softly.

"Kel…It's me, Viggo Grimborn," Viggo said, smiling a little. Kelda's eyes widened as she backed up holding Katja still.

"Vi-Viggo? My Gods…It's been…Over 20 years…" Kelda said, surprised and shocked. "I-I haven't seen you since 1995,"

"Yeah…I know. You left me," Viggo stated.

"HUH?!" Katja, Brynjar, the Vikings, and Hiccup said quickly.

"I left you because you joined your family business of hunting dragons when I told you they were good!" Kelda snapped at him.

"Okay…How do you two know one another?" Hiccup asked. "They're…Vikings; they've never been here before November 10th…"

"Oh, Hiccup dear…It was a long time ago before you were born," Kelda looked down a little.

"Mom…What's going on?" Katja asked nervously.

"I suppose I couldn't hide it forever…" Kelda sighed. "Katja…Brynjar…This is Chief Viggo Grimborn of the Dragon Hunter Tribe on Dragon Hunter Island in the Barbaric Archipelago," she paused a moment taking a breath. "And he is your father, both of yours," everyone's eyes widened as it was turning out to be a day of nothing but unexpected information for everybody.


	25. Crazy

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Crazy

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 12/15/2017-7 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

The room was quiet after Kelda said what she had to Brynjar and Katja. Nobody made a sound or moved, unsure of how to react. I didn't even know what to do right now; I never expected to find out that Viggo and Kelda knew one another, or that they had a child together!

"HE'S OUR _WHAT_?!" Brynjar and Katja broke the silence.

"Come again?" Viggo said, in shock himself.

"It's a long story…" Kelda sighed heavily.

"I think I'd like to hear it," Brynjar remarked quickly.

"As do I," Katja agreed with her brother.

"I just need to understand all this," I decided to say.

"Sit, I will tell you," Kelda informed. Everyone found a seat and just stayed quiet as Kelda took a deep breath. "Hiccup…Are they aware of years, months, days…Things like that?" I nodded to her. "Good, then this should be easy to explain. Viggo, first off…Brynjar and Katja are half-siblings. Brynjar is not a child born from you and me; he was Truda Holt's son," Kelda began.

"I…Remember her. It was one night I shared with her; we were drinking heavily," Viggo stated.

"Yes, well, you got her pregnant. However…She knew you liked me and I'd been rejecting you for years prior to you taking over the family business. Brynjar was conceived in August of 1993 and born April 30th, 1994. When Truda discovered she was pregnant, knowing you didn't return her feelings; she decided to leave the Archipelago and end up here in Denmark. Brynjar was born, and she raised him here without ever knowing who you were. As for you and I…I finally gave you a chance, and in September 1995, I got pregnant with Katja. However, as I went to tell you the news…You told me you were becoming Chief of the Dragon Hunters, so I decided not to say anything. I didn't want Katja being raised around all the bloodshed. Brenden and I left and also came to Denmark," Kelda explained.

"So you and Brenden were both Vikings…?" I inquired.

"We were from Hysteria Island, Hiccup. Your mother and I were good friends; I remember when she told me she was pregnant with you after many failed attempts to conceive, or pregnancies ending in miscarriage. I should say your mom was about 2 months along with you when I left the Archipelago," Kelda informed.

"I-I see…" I said, not sure how to take the information.

"Anyway…Getting to Denmark; it was an adjustment. But Brenden and I gained citizenship, found a house, jobs…And then in June 1996, Katja was born. Truda and I ran into one another when Brynjar was 5 and Katja 3. Truda, unfortunately, was very ill and nothing could be done to save her. She asked if I would take Brynjar in and look after him once she was gone. I agreed knowing Brynjar and Katja were half-siblings. Since then; we've just been living life here. Brenden is a dragon racer, and I am a dragon doctor," Kelda continued.

"Well, this just blew my mind," Gobber blinked. "Guess you weren't the only one who left the Archipelago to get away and start a new life, laddie," I glared at him, clearly showing that this was not the time for jokes.

"So…Brynjar is my son with Truda…And Katja, my daughter with you?" Viggo inquired.

"Correct," Kelda nodded.

"And you…" Viggo started pointing at Brenden.

"I still hate you for knocking up my little sister when she was only 17!" Brenden glared as Viggo put his finger down.

"Yeah…I figured that" Viggo mumbled. "Wonderful, so I learn I have two kids from different women, and I'm apparently a grandfather…"

"Indeed. Now…Who is this young women beside you? Another child?" Kelda asked.

"Hm? Oh, no no. This is Vera Grimborn…She's Ryker and Hertha's daughter. I brought her with me on this venture because Ryker didn't want her getting hurt in any attacks," Viggo explained.

"Ryker and Hertha…The woman from Bog-Burglar he fell in love with? I thought all women stayed on Bog, did Hertha decide not to?" Brenden questioned.

"Hertha wanted Ryker part of hers and their child's life, so she left Bog and moved to Hunter Isle," Viggo stated.

"Ah," Brenden nodded.

"So wait…Hold the hell on!" Brynjar yelled. "That's my father, and he's Katja's father…The brown-haired girl with him is our cousin? And her mother and father are?..."

"On Hunter Isle," Viggo said.

"Oh, man…" Brynjar dragged his hands down his face.

"I was beginning to wonder why you looked like a younger version of me," Viggo mentioned.

"Yeah, well, don't go all fatherly on us now…We've done fine all these years without you, don't expect us just to be welcoming…" Brynjar mumbled.

"Had no intention of doing so…But will you at least give me a chance? I mean, I had no idea I had children…Truda, nor Kelda informed me…It's not all my fault…" Viggo glanced off to the side.

"I suppose he's right," Katja said gently. "I've always wanted to know about my father…"

"I guess everyone deserves one chance…" Brynjar mumbled. "Fine, but you still have to earn it…It's clear you broke both our mom's hearts, and that's why they left…"

"Fair enough," Viggo nodded. I was just amazed at all this coming out now when Katja had been hurt, but hey, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing. Katja has now gained more people in her corner against Dane; Viggo and Vera were family, so that was always nice.

"Perhaps now we can get back to business about the fact Dane abused and raped my niece?" Brenden remarked.

"I've never met Dane, but given what he's done; I don't assume I'm going to like him at all," Vera frowned.

"Nor will I," Viggo agreed.

"Might be the first time you and I have something in common," Brenden said to Viggo with his arms crossed. "Don't let that go to your head. I still don't like you…" Viggo put his hands up defensively.

"I just want to get to know my kids…Even though their adults now," Viggo said. Yep, only 7:10 in the morning and what a day it's started off as. Gods, I just wanted to go back to sleep…I'm hungover as shit right now.

"I'll call the police," Kelda informed as she let got of Katja to make a phone call. Katja sat on the couch next to Brynjar and Brenden. "Yes, hi…This is Kelda Oliversen. I'm calling to report my daughter being physically abused and sexually assaulted by her boyfriend…It happened last night, and she escaped this morning to a friend's house with her daughter. Also, she is pregnant," there was a pause. "The address where we're at?" she looked at Hiccup.

"Faergeve 8, 2791 Dragor, Denmark," Hiccup told her. **(In case anyone is curious, yes, that is a real address in Dragor Denmark. Looking it up, I thought it most resembled a type of warehouse that Hiccup would live in with his dragons that was by the water. So, yeah…I don't own anything; just making sure that is known.)**

"Did you catch all that?" Kelda asked. "Yes, it is the home of Hiccup Haddock; he and my daughter are best friends, and he lives the closest to her," she added afterward. "Thank you so much," she ended the call. "They'll be here in 10-15 minutes,"

 **. . .**

 _ **[7:30 am]**_

I used the time waiting for the police to whip up a quick breakfast for everyone; then I took a shower because I desperately needed it to wake up more. Plus, I ended up puking due to last night's drinking with the guys. After the shower; I felt better, but still took it easy on the food. I stuck to water and was sitting with Dagny on the couch when police arrived. The Vikings were just kind of sitting around, not doing much as they really felt they couldn't. Toothless was laying with Lightheart in their space. The knocking gave it away that police had arrived, so I got up to open the door for them.

"A call from Kelda Oliversen about her daughter?" the man asked.

"Right this way," I guided them into where Kelda sat with Brynjar, Brenden, and Katja on the couch. "This is Kelda's daughter, Katja Oliversen," I said. The female officer knelt before Katja with a gentle smile.

"Hi, Katja…I'm Officer Inga Bager, and these are the team I work with; we're all here to help and put the person who did this away," the woman, Inga offered gently.

"Hi," Katja replied.

"Alright, now I'm just going to get some personal information, okay? Can you give me the names of your immediate family and any children?" Inga asked.

"M-My mom is Kelda Oliversen; my uncle is Brenden Oliversen. My half-brother is Brynjar Holt…And my father is Viggo Grimborn," Katja pointed to each person. "I have one daughter, Dagny Jakobsen; she's about to be 4. A-And I'm currently almost 3 months pregnant…" Katja informed.

"Can you tell me your birthday and address?" Inga inquired.

"J-June 4th, 1996. And I live in Dragor Hotel & Apartment on the 1st floor in room 112," Katja replied.

"Okay, and who lives there with you?" Inga asked.

"Me, my ex-boyfriend Dane Jakobsen, and our daughter, Dagny…" Katja said.

"Now, can you tell me when all this happened?" Inga stated softly.

Katja sniffled a bit. "La-Last night around 1:35 am…So I guess it was early morning. I'd been sleeping on the couch waiting for him to get back,"

"And can you tell me what happened?" Inga asked now.

"It's alright, Katja…Just tell her what Dane did to you…" Kelda soothed.

"I was breaking up with him because I found out he'd been cheating on me with my best friend's soon to be ex-wife, and got her pregnant. He went on a fishing trip after Thanksgiving, so I put it off to tell him in person…Then my daughter got sick for a week, and me right after her. Last night, Dane got home from his harbor job around 11 pm; he demanded I warm him up dinner and get him a beer…I sat down next to him and said I wanted to break up," Katja took a breath.

"It's alright, take your time…" Inga said sympathetically as Katja took a few breaths.

"I told him that I knew he was cheating on me with Olivia Haddock and had gotten her pregnant…" Katja started, her eyes falling on me after seeing me flinch at Olivia's name.

"Kat…It's okay…" I told her. "I know what Olivia did while I was overseas…You don't have to be afraid to say her name around me; I'll be fine,"

"So the woman your ex was cheating on you with is…His wife?" Inga inquired.

"Yes…Dane and Olivia had been hooking up for 7 months while Hiccup was deployed from April to November…I-I had my suspicions Dane was cheating, but I couldn't prove it…A-And I was scared of what he would do to me. Hiccup told me what happened, and I said I was leaving Dane…So back to last night…I said I wanted to break up and Dane lost it…" Katja looked down.

"What did he do, sweetie?" Kelda held her daughter close.

"He backhanded me and said not to say such foolish things that I don't mean. I told him I did mean it and was leaving the next morning with Dagny and we could share custody of the children. I-I got up off the couch and started walking away. But then I felt him grab of my hair and pull me towards him saying that I wasn't allowed to leave until he said so. Dane held my arm and said he was going to remind me who I belonged to…" I saw her close her eyes tightly. I hated hearing this, and I knew Brynjar and Brenden were fuming. I felt like Viggo was too; the man just learned he had two kids and one of them had been beaten and raped by someone who claimed to love her.

"Is this when he sexually assaulted you?" Inga asked.

Katja shook her head. "No, I fought him…I jerked away and said that I didn't belong to anyone. I started down the hall to get Dagny, deciding I would leave that night. But he grabbed me again and threw me into the wall, and I got a little dizzy. Dane slapped me across the face, then backhanded me saying to stop disobeying him. I-I was crying as he punched me and I fell down. Dane hit me a few more time in the face, arms…H-He tried to choke me and…Dagny came out of her room,"

"Did he hurt your child?" Igna questioned now.

"Daddy gwabbed my arm when I tried to make him stop hurting Mommy. He pushed me back in my room and said that he was punishing Mommy for being a bad girl," Dagny said from the couch.

"I told Dagny to go back to her room, close the door, and get back to sleep; that everything would be okay. Dagny did what I said…Then Dane grabbed my wrist and threw me on the ground…" Katja began shaking more now.

"What did he do after that? I know it's hard…But we have to know what he did to put him away for a long time," Inga advised.

Katja cried more. "H-He took his belt off and tied my wrists behind my back. And then he took my pants and underwear off…He started rubbing, then fingering me before getting his pants off and forcing my legs apart and moving in between them. After that, he just pushed in hard and fast…That's all it was for an hour and a half…Didn't matter what position; he'd put me how he wanted it. H-He even did anal; i-it hurt so much…I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't listen…He used his hand to cover my mouth so I couldn't scream for help…When I bit him; he struck me again…"

"What happened when he was done?" Inga inquired softly.

"He finished inside of me 2 times…Anal once, vaginal twice…Then he pulled out and untied my hands and fixed his pants, staring down at me. He said; _you're mine, bitch. You don't leave until I say you can. You'll always be mine, no matter what you do or where you go. Things wouldn't have to be this way if I cooperated and just stayed put like a good girl, but when you act up; I'm going to punish you. Who cares if I fuck other girls; it's you I always come home to. Remember, this happens because I love you and don't want you to leave; we have a family after all_. Then he went back into the living room to eat the rest of his dinner…and drink. I just stayed on the floor…Dagny came out and covered me with a blanket. I managed to get up and put her back in her room…I grabbed my underwear and pants; then laid with her in her room. I told her that when her father fell asleep; we'd leave and come here…Dane passed out on the couch around 5 am…I grabbed Dagny and my phone…I took $20.00 from Dane for a taxi…And we came here…Hiccup's house is closest to mine…" Katja cried, sobbing and sniffling.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Katja," Inga frowned.

"It should also be noted that Dane has been abusing her since Dagny turned 3 in January 2017…" Brynjar added.

"I will mark that in the case. Now, Katja…How far along are you in your pregnancy?" Inga asked.

"11 weeks and 6 days," Katja responded. I flinched a bit; that's how far along I believed Olivia was.

"I think it would be best for her to get checked out at the hospital, to ensure the baby is alright after such an ordeal," Inga suggested.

"I agree," Kelda nodded. "Come on, sweetie," she urged, helping Katja up to her feet.

"Hiccup, can you watch Dagny, please?" Katja asked.

"You know you don't have to ask, Kat," I replied with a nod.

"Thank you," Katja said softly as Kelda helped her out of the home with Brenden and Brynjar following.

"Vig-Dad…" Brynjar started as Viggo looked at him. "Are you coming? You can ride with me on Snowstrike," Viggo, a bit surprised at the offer, nodded and soon hurried out as Vera stayed put.

"The rest of us are going to go pay Mr. Jakobsen a visit," Inga commanded. "I will go with Katja to the hospital for the results of everything," she added. Not long after, the police left, and all that remained in the house was two dragons, 3 children and 12 adults. I checked the clock to find it was only 8:10 am. Fuck this; I wanted to sleep. Dagny yawned, leaning on me and tiredly trying to keep her eyes open.

"I think you should get some sleep, Princess," I said gently.

"Hold me?" Dagny asked, lifting her arms up. I picked Dagny up and laid her on my chest as I reclined on the couch. Dagny yawned again, slowly drifting to sleep.

"Wake me up if anyone comes…" I mumbled as I yawned and closed my eyes and secured Dagny in my arms before I slowly fell asleep 10 minutes later. This is what I needed; to sleep for a bit.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=

"I cannot believe my cousin went through all that…" Vera slumped back. "And learning I have 2 cousins? Talk about a weird day…"

"It was informative," Fishlegs nodded.

"Well, I think we should just watch some TV or read something; Hiccup's gonna be out for a few hours at least, and I'd personally not like to see what happens if he gets woken up…" Heather remarked.

"Agreed," they decided together before finding a place and sitting down to relax. There wasn't much else to do right now, and Hiccup was knocked out. So, they might as well just chill and hope the day got better, so far; it had been been crazy.


	26. Protector

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Protector

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 1/14/2018-2 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

Christmas had come and gone; it was an interesting holiday, to say the least. The Vikings enjoyed everything, and Hiccup even went out of his way to get them each one small gift from him but played it off that Odin brought them. Hiccup got four things each for Valda and Halvor. Everything else was for Hiccup's family and friends. Toothless and Lightheart mated; they took off with the other dragons from the 18th to the 24th. Hiccup explained to the Vikings that this was the general time of year dragons would return to the Hatching Grounds, an island inside the Archipelago to mate and have their babies, which did not take long to do. It was the sex, egg laying, and finally, birth. The dragons always returned for Christmas morning with their mates and babies in tow. Toothless returned with Lightheart, but there was no baby. Hiccup found it a bit weird but figured that maybe Night Furies did things differently.

Hiccup introduced the Vikings to the fun New Year's celebrations and explained that everyone celebrated it around the world. When December 31st changed over to January 1st at midnight; it began the new year. It was fascinating to them, but they also learned that it was one of the major times people drank and partied hard. However, with all that over now; things had settled. Hiccup explained that the next biggest holiday was Valentines Day, the 14th of February, and this was a day to celebrate love. The person you've been with, perhaps finding someone new, some men chose to get married or propose on this day, but it was all about love. However, that was still a month away from today, the 14th of January.

Valda and Halvor turned 5 on the 11th, just 3 days ago. And Dagny was turning 4 tomorrow on the 15th, so what did that mean? Hiccup was throwing a party for his niece and half-siblings since Valda and Halvor didn't get much of a celebration for their big day. Hiccup knew they were his half-siblings, and understood that in his absence, Stoick had to have an Heir to stay the Chieftain of Berk; it just so happened that he ended up with twins instead of just one. Hiccup wouldn't fault the children, of his own father; it was a decision made because he had left Berk at 14 years old. And Hiccup still couldn't believe he was turning 22 in February, well, the end of at least. So today would be a good one for the 3 children; Hiccup already ran it by Katja to share the birthday party, and she had no objections.

More on that matter; Dane managed to get away and had been evading police capture since the incident in December on the 15th. Katja was scared, but she and Dagny are living with Hiccup as he was always home with the Vikings; he acted as the perfect guard. Katja and Dagny were sharing a room for now until Hiccup cleared out one of the other storage rooms. At that point, Dagny would move into that room, and Katja's newborn would room with her in the original. Olivia still hadn't signed the divorce papers, but Hiccup got an update that Jonas did manage to deliver them to her, now it was waiting for her to sign or see if they'd go to court to have a judge end things. Today, though, Hiccup didn't care about any of that because it was Dagny's, Valda's, and Halvor's birthday party and of course, it was being held at Hiccup's house.

"Oh, Hiccup…Thank you so much for all this," Katja cried a bit, hugging Hiccup tightly from the side. Hiccup laughed a bit and returned the gesture.

"Come on, did you really think I wouldn't do something for my little niece?" Hiccup asked.

"Not just the party…Letting me and Dagny stay here until Dane is caught," Katja said gently.

"Kat, you're my best friend; I told you I'd always be here when you need me," Hiccup smiled.

"You're that best," Katja informed. "Now, let's party,"

"Indeed," Hiccup nodded.

"You know your niece is gonna ask you to sing for her," Katja giggled.

"I expected nothing less," Hiccup sighed with a shake of his head and smile.

"It was really nice of you to include Halvor and Valda in this," Katja stated while watching Dagny run around with the Haddock twins.

"Well, they are still my siblings, and I'm not going to punish them for the mistakes of the generation before they born treating me badly," Hiccup shrugged. "Plus, they aren't home right now to enjoy a party,"

"Still, it's nice of you," Katja chuckled a little while they moved into the rest of the celebration.

"Great party, Hic," Brynjar said, putting his arm over Hiccup's shoulders. "You definitely know how to throw them,"

"It's just a birthday, Bryn," Hiccup laughed a little. It wasn't anything big for them; just some friends and family gathering to celebrate Dagny's birthday, and his twin siblings as well. The people in attendance were Hiccup, Katja, Brynjar, Kelda, Brenden, Dagny, Mari, Henrik, Britta, Lilly, Lukas, Hagen, Jolgeir, Oivind, Sigvard, Eirik, Davyn, Ander, who is Colden Kongur's little brother, and the 13 Vikings. But of course, the 13 were there; they were living with Hiccup for the time being, so was Katja and Dagny.

Ander Kongur came because he was good friends with Brynjar; they joined the army at the same time and had gone to school together, so Ander had known Katja by association and were friends. Ander is only a month older than Brynjar; both of them are about to turn 25, but they are 3 years older than Katja as she's turning 22 come June 2018. However, the two got along great and Hiccup could see that there was potential for feelings to form, but perhaps after Katja recovered from what Dane did to her. Drill weekend got canceled for the first weekend in January because there was a bad storm that stopped all transportation, including the dragons, so Hiccup figured by February; he'd actually get to go.

Hiccup just stood off to the side once Brynjar went to talk to Ander; he had a beer in hand and watched everything happen around him. People were snacking, talking, laughing, there was music playing on the surround sound; for once, it was calm with no major problems.

"Thank you," Stoick said coming beside Hiccup now.

"For what?" Hiccup inquired.

"Including Valda and Halvor in the birthday party," Stoick replied.

Hiccup took a drink from the bottle of beer. "Birthday parties when you're younger mean more; it's supposed to be a fun and happy time. Turning another year older is a big deal for kids; they shouldn't have to miss out on celebrating it. I guess I saw a little of myself in the situation,"

"How so?" Gobber decided to jump in.

"Because it's something I never got growing up. My birthday comes once every 4 years…So a lot of times, people forgot, and I never got parties, didn't have friends as the others did. I suppose I didn't want Halvor and Valda to suffer the same," Hiccup informed with a shrug before taking another drink.

"This is pretty fun," Ruffnut smiled standing between Tuffnut and Astrid. Snotlout was closer to Fishlegs, Heather, and Dagur. Viggo was near Kelda, and surprisingly; the two were getting along, though, Brenden was not far and shooting glares Viggo's way. Vera was sitting on the couch just watching everything. Hiccup got off the wall and moved next to her.

"You know, a party means everyone takes part," Hiccup told her.

"Oh, I am; it's just fascinating!" Vera responded softly. "Beyond the Archipelago has so much to offer,"

Hiccup laughed a little, sitting on the arm of the couch next to her. "Tell me about it, but then again…I always knew there was more past the boundaries,"

"Is that why you left?" Vera wondered.

"Half of the reason," Hiccup stated as he looked down a little.

"Well, you left on Toothless to avoid being marked a traitor; you told us that," Vera reminded. Hiccup half-chuckled and nodded.

"But how I felt before meeting Toothless was the other half of the reason," Hiccup informed.

"What do you mean?" Vera inquired.

"I hated my life, Vera. My father didn't have time to be my father, just Chief of the Tribe; he never wanted me around him, and the only time we did talk was when he was scolding me for doing something wrong. I didn't have friends, and nobody wanted me around," Hiccup told her. The Hooligans weren't far and listened in to Hiccup tell Vera all this. "Almost all the time, people wouldn't even see me. I could stand right next to them, and they'd talk about me as if I wasn't there. Nobody wanted me becoming the next Chief of the Hooligans, even people in other Tribes didn't think it was a good idea. Everyone was waiting for me to screw up bad enough that I'd get cast out. I didn't have anything 8 years ago, and I hated my life so much that I was going to kill myself to get away from it all,"

"But you didn't do that, so something must have changed," Vera pointed out.

"It did…I met Toothless," Hiccup smiled a little as his Night Fury put his head in Hiccup's lap, warbling lightly. "I helped him recover and earned his trust; we just developed this incredible bond that I'd never felt before. Having just one friend in my life made all the difference. The pain I'd felt before meeting him started to fade the more time I spent with Toothless," he informed.

"Toothless saved your life…If you hadn't met him; you would have killed yourself," Vera said, a bit shocked.

Hiccup nodded. "Likely. But…I made the decision to leave with Toothless; it just happened to be the day I turned 14. Ended up here about 6 hours later, and this has been home since," he stated.

"So you left because you didn't feel wanted?" Heather asked as Hiccup looked at her.

"Would you stay in a place where nobody wanted you around, constantly acting like you didn't exist? Would you stay among people who never believed in you?" Hiccup inquired now.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Astrid mumbled.

"That's how it was for me, and nobody can deny it. I left to start a new life, find a place where I could belong and be accepted. And I left to protect my best friend; the only one, at the time, to show me mercy, love, kindness, friendship, and acceptance. And because of that choice, now I have all this. Sure, there have been some ups and down, but I'd never change it. This is one choice I will never regret," Hiccup mentioned.

"Well, you would have been wrong," Snotlout said. "About nobody wanting you around,"

"Really? You think so?" Hiccup chuckled taking a drink from the beer bottle. Hiccup got up now. "You said I would be wrong about nobody wanting me around, Snotlout?" he nodded. "Here's a question of my own then. Why did it take me leaving for anyone to care?"

"Come again?" Gobber blinked.

"I was spending every single day up until I left for about…I don't know 3 weeks in the forest with Toothless. Nobody wondered why Hiccup wasn't running around the village, or in the forge? Nobody questioned why Hiccup was gone from sun up to sun down? Yet…The day I decided to leave was my 14th birthday, it was just after midnight on March 1st, 2010 that I left with Toothless. I made it here by 6:30-7am. When did you realize I ran away?" Hiccup asked.

"Was probably a little after a raid ended, just as the sun was rising. 'Bout 5 am," Stoick interjected.

"So who really cared before I left? Nobody. No one even noticed until 5 hours later when I wasn't around for a raid. And the searches for me only started after I stated in my letter that I was leaving because I wasn't wanted there. But nobody bothered to search for me when I spent all day, every day for 3 weeks in the woods? So tell me again who cared before my 14th birthday?" Hiccup smiled. No one said anything. "But hey; it's cool. After coming here and meeting Henrik, his family, and all the people I know now…I stopped caring if any of you actually cared or missed me," he shrugged a little. "Relax, I'm not mad at you. It's done and over with now. This is a party, so lighten up," Hiccup added as he took a drink.

 **. . .**

 _ **[3:15 pm]**_

After that whole scene; the party continued as normal. Valda, Halvor, and Dagny opened their gifts at 2:30 pm; then everyone had cake at 3 pm. Things were slowing down now, and everyone was relaxing with some music. Katja was by the door with Dagny; they had been going outside to test a new toy. In the midst of a song change, a scream was heard.

"What are you doing here!" Brynjar and Hiccup were the first two to get and turn around to see Katja keeping Dagny behind her and away from Dane, who was standing at the door with a pissed off look on his face.

"It's my daughter's birthday; I have the right to see her," Dane remarked.

"You have the right to get out of my house," Hiccup said.

"You can't keep me away from them!" Dane glared.

"Really? I believe a no-contact restraining order and a police warrant for your arrest say otherwise," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest. "Bryn, take your sister and niece farther back…I'll deal with this," he stated.

"Hiccup, don't…Just call the police!" Katja told him.

"Sorry, Kat…I got my own bone to pick with him, and he has the audacity to show up here after what he did to you and to me?" Hiccup scoffed.

"What did I do to you? Oh…Right. I was fucking your wife pretty good to keep her from being lonely while you were away," Dane smirked.

"Ut-oh…" Britta, Lilly, and Lukas said slowly and nervously.

"Shut up," Hiccup warned.

"How is she by the way? I don't see her in the room," Dane taunted. "I saw her last week; it was a good time. You two have a better marriage with the truth out?" Hiccup's fists clenched.

"Oh no," the 6 from Hiccup's unit said.

"I said; Shut Up," Hiccup stated again, firmer and colder this time.

"I heard you two had a baby on the way; things must be-," Dane started. Without warning, Hiccup grabbed the front of his collar and backed him into the wall, bringing his fist back.

"Hiccup, no!" Henrik stood up now. "Don't, son…Don't do it,"

"Come on, Hiccup…Don't listen to your dad; hit me. You know want to…" Dane urged. Hiccup's fist shook, but then he unclenched his fist and lowered his hand and backed up, letting Dane go.

"You're not fucking worth it…" Hiccup said. "Get out," he turned to walk away.

"Coward!" Dane yelled at him.

"The only coward here is the man who abuses and rapes the woman he claims to love when she leaves him for cheating on her with her best friend's wife. In case that didn't process; you, sir, are the coward here, not me," Hiccup informed with his eyes closed. Dane shoved Hiccup hard into one of the steel beams, causing him to hit his head and a slight ringing was heard in the room.

"Hiccup…" Mari went to stand up, but Henrik held her back.

Hiccup moved away from the beam and had his eyes closed still. "Come on! Hit me!" Dane insisted.

"No…" Hiccup shook his head and looked at Dane now. "Say whatever you want, but I'm not going to hit you,"

Dane glared as he punched Hiccup in the side of the jaw this time. Hiccup's head went off to the side a little, but he made no move to strike back. "Then you're weak and useless, won't even defend yourself," Dane went to punch Hiccup again, but now; Hiccup stopped Dane's fist with his hand, holding it still from moving any closer to him. "W-What?" Dane looked at Hiccup now. Hiccup threw Dane's fist to the side and socked him right in the face hard. Dane stumbled back, holding his nose. "You said you weren't going to hit me!"

"My bad; I should have specified that statement…" Hiccup chuckled a little. "I mean that I wasn't going to hit you first," his eyes narrowed now. "You attacked me, so now this is self-defense," he added coldly. Dane recovered and went to go after Hiccup again, but Hiccup only stepped off to the side and Dane went right past him. Hiccup brought his knee up into Dane's chest; then elbow-dropped him to the floor. Hiccup backed up as Dane struggled to get up again and face Hiccup once more.

"Think you're cocky, don't you?" Dane remarked.

"Do I think I'm smarter than you? Yes," Hiccup replied. Dane glared and charged at Hiccup; he only moved lower and lifted Dane up and over his shoulder, landing him on the floor on his back. "Please, stop. You're only making a fool of yourself,"

Dane got up. "Never," he went to punch Hiccup again, but Hiccup brought his forearm up to block Dane's attack. And Hiccup countered by punching Dane in the gut this time. Dane coughed and held his stomach as Hiccup stepped back, but Dane still continued. "Stop being so casual! Fight me!"

"I'm only going to counter when you attack me," Hiccup informed. "The battle is pointless. Therefore, there is no need to put in nearly as much effort as I do when I'm in a war. Believe me, if I put in that amount of work with this whole thing; you will end up knocked out on the floor or dead. Likely knocked out as I'm not looking to go to prison for murder," Hiccup shrugged now. "You're fighting me because you you're trying to prove something; you are fighting me because you are selfish and want to. That's not why I fight, so I won't engage you unless you come at me first,"

"Ugh! Why do you fight then!" Dane went after him again, trying to punch and kick at Hiccup, but he managed to move away or block each strike. "You're fighting me to defend yourself, that's selfish!"

"Wrong," Hiccup grabbed Dane's wrist to stop another hit; this time Hiccup narrowed his eyes darkly and twisted Dane's wrist until it cracked and Dane howled in pain. Hiccup shoved Dane back as he held his wrist.

"Y-You broke my wrist!" Dane tried to move it but hissed.

"I told you I could do a lot worse," Hiccup remarked. "And I think it's time to end this, but I'll humor you, Dane. I'll tell you the difference between you and me…" Hiccup stated. "You fight for yourself because you think you're tough and try to throw your weight around like a big, strong guy. You've got the build, the muscles…You are strong; I won't deny that…But I still have something you don't that makes me stronger,"

"And what's that?" Dane growled.

"I have people to protect," Hiccup said. "You fight for yourself, and I fight to defend,"

"You can't stop me; that bitch is mine!" Dane snapped, trying to punch Hiccup with the other hand now. Again, Hiccup stopped it as Dane's eyes widened.

"Her name is Katja; she's a daughter, niece, sister, mother, and my best friend…" Hiccup glared as he shoved Dane back hard. Hiccup brought his fist back, "And she doesn't belong to anyone!" he upper-cut Dane in the chin; then landed a left hook to Dane's right cheek. Hiccup crouched down swept Dane's feet out from under him, causing him to fall a second time on his back and groan out. Dane sat up a little as Hiccup grabbed his collar.

"H-How did you get so strong?..." Dane asked.

"I didn't get strong; I always have been. I might be younger, skinnier, and shorter than you, Dane...But let me tell you something. There's a big difference between a man who fights for himself as opposed to someone standing up to protect the people he cares about," Hiccup drew his fist back. "You will never beat me; you'll never hurt anyone I care about again. And don't you ever forget it," Hiccup punched him again, this time, knocking him clean out. Hiccup let go and backed up a few steps.

"S-Son…Are you okay?" Mari asked.

"Me? I'm fine," Hiccup stated. "And someone, I don't care who can call the police now," Hiccup grabbed a soda and leaned against the post closest to all of them. Brenden was the one to make the phone call, and police arrived not more than 10 minutes later and took Dane while he was still unconscious. Hiccup was questioned on why Dane was knocked out, but everyone confirmed that Dane attacked Hiccup first, and he was only defending himself and knocked Dane out to make him stop. The police were satisfied and left around 4 pm; the party wrapped up, and most everyone left except those who were living there with Hiccup. However, one thing all the Vikings knew for sure was that despite anything else Hiccup might be; he was almost 100% a protector.


	27. One Long Weekend

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

One Long Weekend

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Thursday, 2/1/2018-9:30 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark-Haddock Home]_

Things have been steady and calm since the 14th of January. Dane was arrested and locked up while the court proceedings took place, but I had a good feeling he was going away for a long time; Dane racked up quite the crime list. Domestic abuse, child abuse, rape, ignoring a restraining and no-contact order, and assault. I had no idea what he would get for prison time, but I knew he was guilty, and so would a jury; Dane would not walk free. Olivia still hasn't signed the divorce papers; I didn't know what was taking so long. It's not like I wanted anything from her, but I knew she might try to get things from me, or at least say that and promise not to take anything if I stayed with her. Katja and Dagny are now living with her mother, Kelda, and Uncle Brenden. However, as 2 people moved out…I ended up with more moving in.

That's right, extras from the Faroe Islands, or Archipelago, have been flown in for reasons I still don't understand. Something about late decisions and it would be good for them to learn from someone who went through the adjustment first hand, aka; me. So now, instead of having 13 people…I have 20. Soren Axall and Signy Ostberg from Murderous, Alvin Ogglebert from Outcast, Camicazi Boggs from Bog-Burglar, Thuggory Meatsen from Meathead, Brenna Grayson from Peaceable, and Eret Trapp from the Waterlands. This happened January 26th, so they've been with me for a week. By some grace of Odin; they already know Danish, I guess someone on the islands was working with them, so they speak it pretty well. However, I had to spend this entire week re-teaching EVERYTHING I taught the 13 Vikings before them. It was not fun, and I was pissed.

Thankfully, it has been going smoothly, and they've got rooms of the house and what their purpose is down, Danish letters, number, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds too, but it will take a bit longer now to catch them up to the rest, and then continue teaching everything. And it would have to wait a bit longer too as I have drill tomorrow morning at 5 am. Joyful for me. Not. Currently, I'm sitting on the couch while the rest are around me; I checked my watch and turned the TV off while getting up.

"Where ya going?" Gobber asked.

"Bed," I informed.

"This early?" Brenna Grayson asked softly.

"It is much earlier than you typically decide to turn in, son," Stoick said.

"I have drill tomorrow morning and have to be up earlier than usual," I yawned.

"Drill? That's the…Army training once a month, right?" Vera questioned.

"That's right," I nodded. "Don't stay up late; I get up at 3:30 am and leave by 4:30 in the morning. And you all, unfortunately, have to come with me,"

"What do we get to do there?" Soren Axall inquired.

"Nothing much; you get to sit and watch the soldiers train. Its literally Friday at 5 am to 9 pm of training. 6 am breakfast, 12 pm lunch, and 6 pm dinner. This happens on Saturday and Sunday too, except that they let us leave at 7 pm to get home on Sunday," I explained.

"What kind of stuff do you do for training?" Eret Trapp asked now.

"Look, you'll get to see tomorrow. For now…I'm going to sleep. Good night," I walked away, entering my bedroom and flopping onto my bed. Oh, I was not looking forward to this at all.

 **. . .**

 _ **[3:30 am]**_

I woke up to my cell phone alarm going off, and I groaned while reaching over to turn it off. "Here we go…" I sighed. I got up and moved to the master bathroom to start getting ready. 15 minutes later, I was showered and shaved. I got into my room and pulled on my underwear, green and brown camouflage pants, and pale brown undershirt. Yawning I exited the room and saw the others still sleeping. I shook my head and flipped on the lights, taking them by surprise. "Rise and shine, boys and girls," I remarked. Slowly, they began to sit up and focus on their surroundings.

"What time is it?" Heather rubbed her eyes.

I checked my watch now. "10 minutes of 4 am. Come on, start getting up and using the bathroom. Pack your shower bags and 3 sets of clothes for the weekend; we won't be back here until Sunday night around 7:30-8 pm. I gotta be outta here by 4:30 am at the latest," I said while tucking in my shirt into my pants before zipping and buttoning them up. I grabbed my belt and began threading it through the loops and fastened it around my waist. Next, I grabbed my camo jacket and slipped it over my arms, then securing the two sides together. I sat down and pulled my boots over to get my socks and those on. After they were laced properly, I stood and fixed my hat on the top of my head.

"We're ready," Gobber grumbled at 4:40 am.

"Gods, I hope I'm not late…Load up," I told them, pointing to the door. "Toothless. Lightheart. Head for the base," Toothless gave the nod and motioned with his head for Lightheart to follow him. I locked everything up and put the alarm on the house before reaching the truck and starting it up. Soon after securing my seatbelt; we were on the road for the Kastellet Military Base.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[5 am]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Kastellet Military Base]_

Hiccup arrived at 4:55 am, quickly flashed his military ID to the guards at the central gate, and drove into the base; then found a place to park. Grabbing his big bag off of the front seat; he let the Vikings out and rushed them to where he knew Alpha Company would be meeting. Colden stood there with his arms over his chest, tapping his foot as Hiccup arrived and stood in line where he was supposed. Colden checked his watch.

"You're 2 minutes late, Haddock," Colden remarked. "Anything to say for yourself before I give you one hell of a workout?"

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be late if someone hadn't volunteered me for the second time to house more people than I already had to begin with…" Hiccup sassed.

"Hiccup…" Brynjar warned, shaking his head at Hiccup. "Don't,"

"You know I'm never late. I had 20 people to get ready! I shouldn't be held accountable for the 7 new ones who aren't familiar with the morning routines as they've only been here a week!" Hiccup informed.

"You knew you had them; you should have been up earlier," Colden said. "It's not my problem,"

"No, but you're about to become mine," Hiccup muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Colden asked, arching a brow.

"Nothing, sir," Hiccup replied.

"I can't hear you," Colden pushed.

Hiccup sighed and took a breath. "Nothing, sir!" he said louder and more clearly this time.

"Yelling so early in the morning, Major Kongur?" came Askel's voice.

"One of my soldiers was late," Colden stated.

"Oh? Who?" Askel inquired.

"Haddock," Colden replied.

"It wasn't my fault!" Hiccup spoke up.

"You're out of line, Sergeant," Colden remarked.

"Haddock, shut up," Ander warned.

"Why should I have to be quiet?! It's not my fault I was late. I got up at 3:30 am and was ready at 4 am. However, I have now 20 people to get ready for the day, so excuse me if I was 2 goddamn minutes late, but maybe I wouldn't have had to of been if _someone_ didn't throw 7 extras on me without asking, AGAIN!" Hiccup glared. "Maybe if he'd listen; he'd hear my side of it!"

"One more remark and I will have you doing physical training until you can't move, soldier," Colden warned again. Hiccup went to say something, but Ander elbowed him in the arm, shaking his head and mouthing; _shut up_. "Now, you will-,"

"Resume normal morning workouts and not require anything more or less from Sergeant Haddock, Major Kongur," Askel cut him off as Colden looked at him slowly.

"S-Sir?" Colden asked.

"Sergeant Haddock will not be punished for arriving late as it was not his fault, and he was honest about his reasons. As I understand it, Major Kongur; you placed 7 more Vikings within Hiccup's household without asking him first a week ago, so it left him to have to adjust everything in his life to accommodate the change. Hiccup stated he was up with ample time but had to wait for the people you placed with him not once, but twice now without consenting with him first. If the fault here is anyone's; it's yours. I will not penalize Sergeant Haddock's 2-minute tardiness, and neither will you. Is that understood?" Askel stated.

"Yes, sir, Major General Olsen," Colden replied respectfully.

"And one more thing," Askel paused. "The position of leadership is given to someone who not just leads, but listens to the people he is leading. Hiccup stated a few times what happened, and you refused to listen. As well; you threatened to punish him if he continued to try and explain his side of the story. There are always two sides, Major, and as leader of this company; I expect you to listen to both before immediately shooting down the other person and jumping to disciplinary action. There are some valid and excusable reasons we have for being late, and Mr. Haddock's particular situation, thrust on him by you, counts as one,"

"Yes, sir," Colden said.

"Good. Sergeant Haddock and I have already discussed the matter of him coming to drill with the group residing in his home; know what he is and isn't allowed to do as we spoke last night when he told me they would be coming with him, so try to stay off his ass and if you're unsure; you can check with me," Askel informed.

"Yes, sir," Colden nodded with a salute.

"And I think you owe Sergeant Haddock an apology, Major," Brynjar added in.

"Hiccup, I am sorry for not listening to you, and everything else since the situation took place in November. I should never have assumed that just because you were once part of their culture 8 years ago that you would just take it upon yourself to teach them the ways and customs of the modern world beyond the Archipelago," Colden said genuinely. "Maybe…In the future; you can call if you feel you will be late?"

"Yeah, well, from now on…Try to think before you act, or at least ask the person you're considering for the job; they may just have other things going on, sir," Hiccup stated. "Apology accepted," he added shortly after.

"Well, now that's settled," Askel nodded. "It's about 0510; time to get to training," he stated.

"Sir, yes sir!" the soldiers shouted together.

"Take 'em for an hour of PT, Major," Askel ordered.

"Sir, yes sir, Major General Olsen!" Kongur replied. "Let's move boys and girls!" he demanded. "Attention!" he called. The soldier snapped to position, feet together and hands at their sides. "Alright, let's split up into platoons, and spread our for PT formation!" he stated. "Lieutenant Holt, Lieutenant Baardson; take over,"

"Sir, yes sir!" the men and women replied. Hiccup ended up towards the back and a foot or two away from the 20 Vikings, his back to them while standing an arm's length apart from the other people around him. There were two groups, 72 in each as Hiccup explained to the Vikings once and a few of the ones who had been there informed the 7 newcomers about some of the things Hiccup taught them; they thought it might help Hiccup out to not have to re-explain things.

"Alright Lightning Platoon; you know the drill! 45 pushups, 45 situps; each in 2 minutes!" Brynjar ordered. "Jackets off, take your positions!" he called. Hiccup and the rest immediately removed their outer jackets and got on the ground in a pushup position. "On the whistle," he stated. "One. Two. Three!" Brynjar blew the whistle around his neck, and the soldiers started in sync.

"One, sir. Two, sir. Three, sir…" and this is how it continued until they hit 45. Of course, not all of them made it that far; some stopped between 38 and 42. Hiccup was not one of those people. Brynjar stopped the clock and blew the whistle.

"Not bad. A couple of you didn't quite make it. We'll need to work on that. The annual training in June has a physical fitness test; you need to make your times," Brynjar reminded. "Let's move on, situps! Positions…" everyone got on their back, arms crossed over their chest and feet together with knees up. "One. Two. Three!" he blew the whistle. Just like before; the soldiers were doing situps, counting up to 45 before the stopwatch hit 2 minutes. Hiccup was, again, another person who reached 45 with others, but some didn't make it. "That's time!" the watch gave a ringing alarm. Of course, Hiccup had been done 30 seconds before the timer was up.

"Grab a drink," Brynjar stated. "And Haddock?" Hiccup looked at him while digging through his bag for his water bottle. "Nice work for having missing training two months in a row,"

"Missed Drill Weekend, didn't miss training, sir," Hiccup replied.

Brynjar was about to question him, but then it clicked. "Right…You have that workout room in your house," he remembered. "Still…Pushups and situps? How do you have time with all them around?"

"Bedroom before the shower," Hiccup shrugged.

"Yeah, should have guessed that…You never miss a morning workout unless you're hungover," Brynjar mentioned.

"At least you can't say I'm not dedicated," Hiccup smiled.

"True," Brynjar responded. "Alright, boys and girls…Time to plank and Kongur wants you timing how long you can hold it for. Set your timers and get into position; you know the rules. Your toes, hands, arms, or elbows can be down, nothing else,"

"What's _plank_?" Signy Ostberg wondered.

"It's similar to a pushup only you don't go down," Hiccup said as he put himself in position and started the timer on his watch. "This is all you do," he informed. "Like a board; your toes stay straight up, instead of bending like in pushups. You can stay up on your hands, arms, or elbows. But legs, stomach, and chest don't touch the ground. You're basically holding up all your own weight,"

"For how long?" Thuggory Meatsen wondered.

Hiccup chuckled a little. "Right now…As long as we're able to. But usually, it's about 2-5 minutes in workouts, but I guess this time they wanna see how long we can do it without a set time,"

"Yeah, because it hurts like a bitch after 5…" Jolgeir grumbled.

"Who among you has the longest time?" Dagur questioned.

"Currently…Brynjar holds that record in Alpha Company. He's made it 13 minutes, and Colden is right under him at 10. No one usually gets past 6 for the rest of us, though," Sigvard huffed a few times.

"Hiccup's made it to 8," Eirik mentioned. "That was like 2 years ago,"

"Hey, I think Hiccup can beat the record, just saying; he was recovering from an injury that day," Davyn remarked.

"Hiccup can't be my record. The highest time at this base is 25 minutes, and it's been that for a while now; I'm the only who got close at 13. The world record for longest plank is like…10 hours, I think," Brynjar shrugged a little.

"Oh, is that a challenge I'm sensing?" Jolgeir chuckled a little as his arms gave out and he fell. Oivind and Davyn were right behind him a few seconds later. As it went on 5 minutes, almost more than half the platoon was down. There were still about 12 still holding it, Hiccup being one of them. 6 minutes, six more dropped. At 7, the rest gave in. It was only Hiccup now.

"Oh, shit! He's going for it!" Sigvard cheered.

"What?" Brynjar blinked, quickly looking over.

"Hiccup's about to beat Major Kongur's time!" Oivind said.

"What, no way," Brynjar got lower and checked Hiccup's watch. "Hey, Major Kongur! Hiccup just broke your plank record!" Colden blinked a few times. It didn't take long for the Thunder Platoon, Askel, and Colden to come over. Everyone was around Hiccup.

"And he's going for yours, Lieutenant! Haha! Come on, Haddock!" Davyn encouraged. 2 minutes passed as Hiccup's body dipped, but never touched the ground.

"Come on, Hiccup! You got this!" Eirik said excitedly. Hiccup fixed his body as it passed 13 minutes. "He did it! He beat Brynjar's record!"

"Well, I'll be damned," Brynjar laughed a little. "Nice work, Haddock,"

"Well done, Sergeant," Askel nodded. Hiccup made no effort to stop what he was doing. "Sergeant? You can stop anytime; I think you earned it," Hiccup fixed his position so that his arms were down now, but he remained where he was otherwise.

"The challenge was to hold it as long as we can, was it not?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, yes…But how far do you intend on going? Your body has already shown the signs that it's about had it," Colden stated.

"I'm good now," Hiccup remarked. Jolgeir checked the watch on his wrist.

"He's at 15," Jolgeir reported. Another 3 minutes passed by as Hiccup's watch showed he was at 18 minutes total; he was sweating, trying to control his breathing, and his body was shaking.

"Does it hurt yet?" Snotlout inquired.

"It hurt at 10," Hiccup replied, trying to stay focused.

"They why are you still going?" Viggo questioned.

"That's the challenge, already explained this," Hiccup retorted.

"Just passed 20," Brynjar informed. "Wait a second…Hiccup, are you going for the base record?"

"Why…Am I close?" Hiccup panted.

"You're about 4 minutes out, dude," Oivind remarked.

"Well, I guess we'll see what happens," Hiccup laughed a little. At 26 minutes, Hiccup's breathing was harder as he closed his eyes.

"He did it! He did it! Hiccup broke the base record; he's at 26 minutes!" the 5 Strike Unit males cheered, so did a lot of others.

"Well, I'll be…" Askel chuckled. "That's something else," he added. Still, Hiccup held the position despite how much it hurt; he wasn't ready to give in yet, he could still do it.

"Hiccup, come on. You're gonna hurt yourself!" Ander scolded. "You beat three records, that's pretty damn good…Now, stop," Hiccup shook his head to him silently.

"Haddock, Ander is right…Come on, give it a rest," Brynjar told him. "Will one of you make him?"

"The order was to go as long as you can if he can hold it longer; then he's doing what was asked of him," Askel reminded.

"He's at 28 minutes!" Davyn announced. By 29 minutes, Hiccup lowered his head onto his clasped fists, eyes still closed, and his body shaking from how long he'd been holding his position. "30!"

Hiccup's pose started to falter; it began to give out in the knee and hip section, but still, he did not touch the ground. "32," Jolgeir mentioned.

"Jesus…He's a fucking tank," Eirik blinked.

"33," Oivind said a minute later.

"35!" Brynjar informed 2 minutes later. Hiccup's hand moved to his watch as he put his finger on the button to stop the time, but didn't press it yet. "Hiccup, come on. Don't push it! You can't anymore; you'll pass out. You're at 36, call it quits, man!"

Hiccup's body caved, and he pressed the button; collapsing fully to the ground, trying to catch his breath, but smiling. Hiccup rolled onto his back, laughing a little.

"Final time, 36 minutes and 16 seconds!" Askel called out. "Well done, Sergeant Haddock!" the man exclaimed. "You just set the new base record!"

"You crazy asshole," Brynjar chuckled, putting his hand out and helping Hiccup sit up while Ander handed Hiccup his water bottle, so he could take a few sips. "That was wicked impressive," Hiccup shrugged a little. "Think you can handle the rest of the workout after that. I mean, shit; if you wanna go take a nap, I'm cool with it,"

Hiccup shook his head, getting up and facing him now. "Infantry never sleep, Lieutenant Holt, sir!" Hiccup saluted him.

"You're a damn good soldier and an even better friend," Brynjar saluted him back. "Now, the rest of you get your lazy asses back to work! There are no breaks until breakfast!" he commanded. Hiccup chuckled a little already knowing that this was going to be one hell of a long weekend.


	28. So Much Better

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

So Much Better

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 2/2/2018-12:30 pm]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark-Kastellet Military Base]_

The rest of the workout was jumping jacks, pullups, stretching, and finally, a 2-mile run that needed to be done in a certain amount of time. Breakfast happened at 6:15 am where everyone in the mess hall was cheering and congratulating Hiccup for setting the new base record for the longest plank. Hiccup learned later that it was his own father, Henrik, who set the record back when he was about 19-years-old. Colden called Henrik to tell him that his son smashed his record by 11 minutes and 16 seconds. Henrik was proud of Hiccup for doing it, even if he pushed himself to almost passing out to make it happen. The funny part was at the time Hiccup did it; he didn't know Henrik had the record. Hiccup just did it because that's how long he was able to hold the position for. The rest of the morning after 7 am was marching practice and sparring in pairs tournament style. It came down to Hiccup and Davyn 11:45 pm, and at 11:55, Hiccup won. Hiccup was supposed to go against Ander, Matthias, and Brynjar; then, if he made it that far, against Colden himself.

However, they ran out of time and went to lunch. Colden said they might pick up later or tomorrow, but for the time being, good work and head to eat. Right now, it's 30 minutes into the midday meal. Everyone was eating and chatting a little. The Vikings, as always, we seated with Hiccup and his unit. Hiccup didn't know what was up with him today, maybe it had something to do with the 30-minute plank, then hours more of training between 7 am and 12 pm, but he just felt blah.

"Strike Unit!" Brynjar called. Hiccup stood.

"Yes, sir?" Hiccup asked.

"You boys have lunch entertainment today," Brynjar grinned.

"Great…" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"What was that?" Brynjar inquired.

"I said we're on it, Lieutenant!" Hiccup rephrased quickly.

"That's what I thought you said," Brynjar sat back down with Colden and Matthias.

"What is _lunch entertainment_?" Camicazi wondered.

"Every drill weekend, certain units from different platoons get stuck doing something to entertain the crowd. It's just our turn," Davyn explained.

"So, what are we doing, boss?" Oivind looked at Hiccup.

"I have no idea…" Hiccup shrugged.

"Something military-wise?" Sigvard suggested.

"Everyone does that," Eirik stated.

"You got a better suggestion?" Hiccup inquired.

"We could karaoke one of Hiccup's party songs?" Jolgeir offered.

"You can go fuck yourself," Hiccup mumbled while looking down at his phone, scrolling through messages, and then a few from Olivia came in asking if they could talk, and saying how sorry she was for everything. Hiccup almost groaned at this meager attempt; he made it clear he didn't want her back, and nothing could fix what she had done, so why would she continue to push him?

Hiccup began developing a headache while ignoring the messages, but Olivia continued to try to text and call him. Hiccup hated that despite what she did; he still loved her. The fire was still burning strong, and he wished he could just forgive her and everything would be okay, but the pain of her cheating for 7 months, and trying to pass of Dane's baby as his hurt a lot, and every time he felt that pain; he refused to take Olivia back.

"Okay…What if we did something for the people we've lost?" Eirik shrugged.

"Well, that might be nice and a change of pace for once," Davyn nodded.

"Yeah, the question is what do we do?" Oivind questioned.

"Could sing?" Jolgeir said.

"But what?" Sigvard shrugged his shoulders.

"Hiccup? Thoughts?" Eirik asked. Hiccup never answered. "Hiccup?" Nothing.

"Dude?" Sigvard shook him a little. "What's with him?"

"Hiccup, hey…Come on, man," Davyn snapped his fingers in front of Hiccup's face.

"Huh?" Hiccup blinked a few times. "Hm? What's up? You guys decide what you want to do?"

"Why'd you zone off like that?" Jolgeir inquired.

"I actually have no idea. Just kind'a happened," Hiccup replied. "What were we talking about?"

"We thought about doing a tribute to our fallen brothers and sisters. Was looking for insight from you on a possible song choice," Oivind said.

"Might not be a good idea, guys. It's supposed to be fun, get everyone riled up, not depressed and crying…" Hiccup informed with a grumble. He knew that the soldiers probably would like something like that, but he wasn't up for it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Sigvard questioned. "You don't look like yourself,"

"I agree," Eirik nodded.

"I'm fine," Hiccup stated.

"Yeah, now I know you're not fine," Jolgeir rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and you're so sure of that?" Hiccup countered.

"Hiccup, we've known you for almost 5 years now…We know that when you say you're fine; it's bullshit because you're not. So what's going on?" Davyn interjected.

"Guys, I'm good," Hiccup remarked again.

"Come on, no you're not," Sigvard shoved him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Hiccup replied.

"Hic…" Jolgeir tried.

"Seriously, stop," Hiccup said firmly.

"Just tell us what's going on," Oivind responded.

"It's nothing," Hiccup narrowed his eyes a bit, becoming annoyed.

"So there is something," Sigvard pushed.

"No, it's nothing because it's nothing!" Hiccup snapped a bit.

"You're getting mad, Hiccup…" Eirik mentioned.

"Will you just lay off me? Gods…" Hiccup sighed.

"We just want to help, bud," Davyn said.

"Help with what? I'm fine, now stop. Just drop it," Hiccup demanded. "Seriously, you're starting to piss me off,"

"You wouldn't be getting pissed off if there was nothing wrong. Come on, Hiccup, just talk to-," Hiccup's eyes narrowed fully, glaring at them.

"Odin almighty, just stop!" Hiccup yelled now. "I said it over and over again; I'm fine, so leave it be. Drop it. Gods…Why is everyone on my ass today?! Just leave me the hell alone and back the fuck off!" he ordered before swinging his legs over the bench and storming off angrily. Reaching the door, he cupped his hand over his mouth and let out a roar that sounded much like a Night Fury's. "TOOTHLESS!" he called out. A second later, Toothless and Lightheart landed near him.

"Sergeant Haddock! Don't you dare le-," Colden stood up. Hiccup was already on Toothless's back as the dragons launched into the air. "ave…" the Major put his finger down and sighed before turning to the Strike Unit. "What happened?"

"We honestly have no friggin' idea, Major Kongur. We were talking about what to do for the show, Hiccup zoned off for a minute, we brought him back, and his mood was just…I don't know; it seemed like something was wrong," Sigvard explained.

"And we asked if he was okay, or needed to talk…And he just…Well, I mean; you saw," Eirik motioned. "Hiccup kept saying he was fine, but his demeanor said otherwise, so we pushed and he snapped,"

"That doesn't sound like Hiccup at all," Ander stated coming beside his elder brother now.

"I have to agree. Let me go after him, Major Kongur…" Brynjar offered.

"No, I will talk to him. I'm the leader of the company if my soldiers are having some kind of problem whether it personal and work-related; it's my job to handle things like this. For all I know…It could be late onset PTSD. Hiccup has served 3 tours; he's seen his fair share of injuries and deaths. And he's been out of war now since November, that's…3 months. His evals have been fine thus far…" Colden stated.

"But wait…Has he been evaluated since coming home this time, Major? Hiccup immediately took the Vikings into his care and missed two drill weekends, even though one was due to a storm and we all missed it, but…I don't think he went through his post-war psychiatric eval," Brynjar informed.

"I fear you may be correct," Colden sighed. "I will speak with him,"

"What's a post-war eval?" Stoick inquired.

"Serving on tours, seeing the things we sometimes do; they come back to haunt is in the form of flashbacks and nightmares. After serving, and sometimes during after a bad loss like losing someone in your arms, or having to leave them behind…We get evaluated to see where our heads are at with everything if we can still handle combat and war despite what we've been through," Matthias explained.

"Some people can't handle it, and they end up getting discharged from the military, which means that they will no longer be part of it. Some soldiers don't recover because they refuse to seek help on what's bothering them, and they end up killing themselves to escape everything," Ander said next.

"The thing is, Hiccup never got a post-war eval because we left Afghanistan and went straight to the Archipelago, then flew here, and you've been in Hiccup's care since. Hiccup has dealt with a lot on tour, the things with his wife, or soon to be ex…He's gone through a lot, and we just want to make sure he isn't about to snap and hurt or kill himself. PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can be very bad if left untreated, certain sounds, sights, can trigger attacks, flashbacks, and sometimes a soldier just doesn't know where is; if he's safe or not, They lash out, and well, we just need to make sure he's not going to raise any red flags for us," Colden stated.

"Um…I don't know if this would be one of your _red flags_ , but…Before the wife cheating on him thing, Olivia was saying Hiccup had trouble sleeping at night. And we think we heard him in one of those nightmares about losing a friend. He kept calling out his name, telling him it would be okay and that he couldn't die," Gobber mentioned. "And when those 23 soldiers died, Hiccup heard about that on the news, and Henrik came over to comfort Hiccup; he cried that day and Henrik told him not to hold it in, or it would destroy him,"

"What name was he calling out?" Brynjar asked instantly.

"Uh…I think it was _Rog_?" Dagur mentioned.

"Okay…Yeah, that was a bad death…" Brynjar looked at Colden.

"Yes, I remember. That happened at the end of August; that's when we sent Hiccup home for his 2-week leave because the person who did his evaluation suggested a short break from everything. Hearing this, and everything else…Those are…Definitely things we worry about. I need to go find him," Colden quickly left the room.

"Is…Hiccup going to be okay?" Vera inquired with a bit of concern.

"I really hope so, but I can't say for sure; things haven't been that easy for him the last few months…" Brynjar sighed.

 **. . .**

 _ **[12:50 pm]**_

It took Colden a little time, but with some help from people around the base; Colden followed the path on foot of where Hiccup went with Toothless and Lightheart. Colden found Hiccup sitting on the ground in the middle of his dragons. Toothless and Lightheart were next to one another, and Hiccup was between them with his knees up, and arms draped over the caps of his knees.

"Hiccup?" Colden asked.

"I'm sorry for taking off, Major…I'll take whatever punishment you want to give me," Hiccup said in a low tone.

"I'm not here to scold or punish you for what you did, Hiccup. I came to try and understand what caused it," Colden informed. Hiccup sighed heavily with his head down and eyes closed.

"I just got a lot going on, Major Kongur; it just piled up, and I snapped. I took off because I didn't want to flip on anyone else accidentally. I feel bad that I did it to my friends when they were trying to help," Hiccup confessed. Colden got closer to Hiccup as Toothless and Lightheart began to growl protectively. "Easy you two…He's okay," he added. The dragons stopped as Hiccup got up and left the safety of his dragons.

"It's come to my attention that because of everything that happened since November with the orders changing; you never had your post-war evaluation, Hiccup. And the Vikings told me that you've been suffering some nightmares, having trouble sleeping, and even breaking down in your father's arms when the 23 soldiers died in Afghanistan," Colden stated.

"That was a hard day to wrap my head around, Major. Alpha Company had been stationed in the same place not more than a week or so beforehand," Hiccup looked at him.

"I suppose I can see why that would be something that hits home," Colden nodded. "And the flashbacks?"

"I'm…Coping, slowly," Hiccup admitted.

"Are you seeing anyone about them?" Colden asked. Hiccup shook his head no. "I think perhaps you should, Hiccup. And also…I need your evaluation done from the Afghanistan tour. You know those are required,"

"I'll do it whenever you want, sir," Hiccup replied.

"How about we set something up for tonight after dinner?" Colden asked.

"I would prefer to do it after training, Major Kongur…" Hiccup remarked.

"Well, I can see about scheduling it for 9:15, or perhaps on Sunday after dinner when training is over," Colden offered.

"Whichever is fine," Hiccup said.

"Now…What happened in the mess hall, Hiccup. Was that…Something to do with war, work? You mentioned having a lot going on?" Colden questioned.

"It's…Personal, Major. Everything with…The divorce and stuff. Olivia started messaging me during the meal, asking me to come back, begging…And I guess…I don't know. I love her; I want her in my life…But then I remember what she did and…I just can't forgive it, so it hurts more," Hiccup looked down. "And then I got all this with the Vikings going on, and you know how I feel about it all despite how well lessons are going…"

"The Viking situation is my fault, so I'm sorry for making things worse," Colden stated gently. "As for your ex-wife, or soon to be…I don't know how to help with that one, son. Perhaps call her and explain why you can't let go of what happened, and that it hurts you to know what she did,"

"Maybe…" Hiccup sighed.

"It's your decision, of course," Colden reminded. "Are you ready to come back? The second half of training is starting; we're going to the range. Want to take some frustration out on a few targets with guns and practice grenades?" he offered.

"Yeah…Yeah, that could help," Hiccup nodded.

"Excellent, come on back then. I'll let you go first; you can show them how it's done," Colden smiled.

"I'm not the only expert shooter in the company, you know," Hiccup mumbled as he snapped his fingers and his dragons got up.

"No, that's true. But you are the only Special Ops Soldier and expert sniper…" Colden chuckled.

"And no one is supposed to know about it, Major. I've already been asked many times where I disappeared to at random…" Hiccup muttered.

"What do you tell them?" Colden asked.

"Heh…That I'm filling in as a leader on other teams, going on a patrol, or guard with a group whose CO is sick or injured…" Hiccup informed. "I hate lying to them…"

"I know, Hiccup, but…Unfortunately; it's safer this way," Colden mentioned.

"How so…" Hiccup wondered.

"We wouldn't want them getting hurt, would we?" Colden smiled.

"True…" Hiccup sighed. Reaching the others on the shooting range, everything seemed to stop.

"Hiccup?" Brynjar asked.

"Sergeant Haddock is fine, Lieutenant, and anyone else wanting to know. It's a personal matter; I've been informed, and things are good as they can be," Colden stated.

"Really? You're okay?" Oivind inquired.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap on you guys earlier. I guess I'm tired from everything this morning, and my…Ex-wife won't stop harassing me, and I got a little stressed out. No big deal," Hiccup smiled.

"It's cool, man. We didn't mean to harp on you either; we just worry," Sigvard reminded.

"I know; you guys are awesome friends that way," Hiccup nodded. "Thanks for wanting to make sure I'm okay,"

"Hey, you know we got your back," Jolgeir chuckled.

"Well, with Olivia out of the picture; you guys get to have all of me," Hiccup laughed. "Not in a sexual sense!" he added.

"Oh, darn!" Jolgeir snapped his fingers, thwarted. "There's goes my chances,"

"We all know you have the hots for Hiccup, Jol," Davyn shook his head.

"Well, who doesn't? Look at all that raw Vikingness contained in his short, skinny body. How does he keep in contained?" Eirik chuckled now.

"Oh, fuck both of you," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"Come on, look how cute he is when he's mad?" Jol teased.

"I mean…If you're offering on the fucking?" Eirik started.

"NO!" Hiccup glared. "I'm straight! I have sex with women, only!"

"Well, you're single right now, so you aren't having sex with anyone," Jolgeir snickered with the others, even Ander and Brynjar joined in.

"Screw you! I could call at least 3 people and be laid by all of them by tomorrow morning if I wanted," Hiccup sassed.

"But you won't because you're working, Sergeant Haddock!" Colden interjected.

"Yes, I know, but I'm making a statement that I could," Hiccup said.

"So…How drunk you think he has to be to-," Eirik began.

"NEVER HAPPENING! I swear, I'm never drinking with you 2 again. I'm now in fear you'll try to rape me," Hiccup stated.

"Can't rape the willing," Jolgeir shrugged.

"I'M NOT WILLING!" Hiccup shot back.

"We're just playing with-Okay, that came out wrong," Eirik said.

"You're just fucking perverts, the both of you," Sigvard remarked.

"Indeed." Davyn and Oivind nodded.

"Okay, this has seriously derailed, and I'm scarred for life now from wounds on the battlefield and mentally because of my psycho friends, 2 of which, apparently want to have sex with me…" Hiccup groaned. "You 2 can't even deny it…I know Eirik is Bi and you, Jol, are straight up gay. As I'm single; you 2 officially scare me until further notice…" he added.

"Don't worry, Haddock; we'll protect you," Sigvard said with Davyn and Oivind nodding.

"Me too," Brynjar chuckled. "But man that was hilarious to listen to,"

"Shut it…" Hiccup mumbled as Colden handed Hiccup the standard issue rifle.

"Show 'em how it's done," Colden stated.

"Sir, yes sir," Hiccup saluted as he got the gun ready, took his position and then he took a breath and fired. Shot number 1 hit the target right on.

"Keep it going," Colden instructed. Hiccup did so, one shot after the other to each target. Some were close; others were farther, but Hiccup never missed. After he was done, Hiccup set the gun down and faced Colden. "Feel better now?"

Hiccup nodded. "So much better," he smiled.


	29. More Of The Same

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

More Of The Same

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 2/2/2018-9 pm]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark-Kastellet Military Base]_

Despite Hiccup having a slight meltdown; training continued as normal through the rest of the day. From 1 pm to 3 pm; it was shooter practice with various types of guns and some grenades, but they were dummy ones; they only gave a boom and little small to a medium-sized puff of smoke. The Vikings knew Hiccup was working, so they tried to refrain from asking him questions, at least until later on when he might not be so busy. 3-4 was a verbal pop quiz about military history, protocols, and conduct. 4-6 was another small workout and drill commands. Finally, there was dinner from 6-7. And from 7-9 was a combat scenario to infiltrate an enemy base and defeat the boss. There were 2 sides to this, as a massive, war version of capture the flag. Hiccup team won, and then everyone lined up to be dismissed for the night.

"Good work today, soldiers!" Colden called. "Now, off to the barracks with you! I'll see you bright and early at 0500! Hand salute!" he stated. The soldiers brought their hands up and saluted. "At ease," Colden added afterward as the soldiers relaxed. "Dismissed, and goodnight," he smiled.

"Finally!" Brynjar sighed out.

"Ready to hit the sack, Hic?" Davyn inquired.

"Sergeant Haddock," Colden stated.

"Yes, sir?" Hiccup replied.

"That eval…I scheduled it for Sunday at 7:15 pm. Work for you?" Colden replied. Hiccup nodded to him. "Oh, and since you have about 20 people; you get E Barrack with them. The rest of you, males in A and C. Females in B and D!" he informed.

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers replied and began to break off. Hiccup motioned for the Vikings to follow him.

"So, what is an E Barrack?" Camicazi asked.

"A barrack is a large space that 30-60 soldiers share. Some are wooden; others are metal. It's a long building with a bathroom, and then one open area filled with beds," Hiccup explained while walking. "E is just the letter that helps the officers keep track of which groups are where, and there is no co-ed sleeping. Males and females stay separated,"

"Why can't they sleep together? We all do at your house?" Thuggory wondered.

"Military has its own set of rules, and that happens to be one of them. It's more to do with the fact it's easier for all guys to be in one space, and the girls in theirs. In the mornings, we have half an hour to shower and get dressed. In most cases, the males and females being separated are just to avoid the 2 genders seeing one another with barely anything on. For males, when we leave the bathroom; we're typically only in a towel or our underwear. Guys don't really care if they see one another, neither do girls, but they don't like to see each other," Hiccup shrugged.

"Example-wise, you're saying that if you're in a room with about 30 others, all males; you guys don't care if you see one another naked?" Dagur blinked.

"Not really, no. Sure, it's a little uncomfortable in the start when you're just meeting these people in basic training, but by the end of all that; you stop caring. Guys all have the same parts, so it's not like we'd be seeing anything new," Hiccup reached the barrack and opened the door while flipping on the light; he walked in and let the other file in behind him.

"And the girls don't care about seeing each other?" Astrid inquired. Hiccup shook his head. Once they were all inside, Hiccup closed the door and faced them as they were unsure of what to do from here.

"Guys, it's just like at my house. Find a bed; these are a little different, but they serve the same purpose," Hiccup tossed his bag on the bottom bunk of a bed closest to the door.

"Why are they stacked on top of one another?" Stoick asked.

"Oh, that's because they are bunk beds. It's supposed to be that way and how we fit so many people into one space," Hiccup explained. "Just…Grab a bottom bed as I have, and I'll tell you more. I figured you'd have questions about the military base. Usually, civilians aren't allowed to be here; you're a special case as I'm your caretaker," he informed. The Vikings found beds close together on either side of the room and put their things down. "Okay, quick rundown. Beds, metal closet, and bathrooms are down at the end of the hall. It's not like at my house where there is only one sink, shower, and toilet, so come on," he motioned for them to follow.

Reaching the bathroom, Hiccup brought them inside. "It's very simple. There are 10 stalls, each with one toilet inside. There are 10 sinks and urinals. And a urinal is just another place men can piss in as males stand up when doing so. There are 12 showers, no tubs. This is because in the morning, for those who choose to get ready at 4:30 am have only 30 minutes to use the bathroom, shower, shave if necessary, and get dressed to meet on the field for 5 am. And that's a lot of people to get ready at once in such a short time, so we've been trained to get in; shower, shave, and get out within 6 minutes, and then get dressed," he explained.

"Wow, that's fast," Heather said.

"Have to be for war situations; you have to be ready when called to fight whenever. Enemies aren't going to wait for you to get out of the shower, dry off, and get dressed," Hiccup chuckled while leading them out to the central area again.

"So what's with the bunk beds again?" Eret inquired.

"Okay, when you join the army and get sworn in; you ship off to Basic Combat Training. It's 9 weeks long, so a little over a month. When you ship out; you start at Reception Battalion, its about 3-5 days long where you fill out a bunch of paperwork, takes some tests, get your uniforms, dog tags, and whatnot. From there, you move to Basic Training and get to pick a battle buddy. This person basically becomes your new best friend through training. You do everything together. You have each other's backs, and if one of you gets into trouble, both of you suffer the punishment. The bunk beds are because you sleep in the place as your battle buddy," Hiccup sat on his bed now.

"One person on top, and the other on the bottom bed?" Snotlout blinked.

"That's right," Hiccup nodded.

"Who is your battle buddy?" Vera wondered now.

"Sigvard," Hiccup chucked.

"The one who was saying he wanted to have sex with you?" Soren stated, a bit surprised.

"No, that was Jolgeir," Hiccup replied. "They were messing around; it would never happen," he laughed a little while unlacing his boot and setting them at the foot of his bed. After that, he took off his jacket and laid it across the trunk at the foot of the bed along with his belt.

"But why do they make jokes like that?" Signy questioned.

"Just for fun; that's all it is. Good, clean fun with friends," Hiccup shrugged while removing his shirt. "Not everything is about work; you gotta be able to laugh and have fun. So after a long day of training before lights out happen; we crack jokes and tease one another," he added.

"What's lights out?" Tuffnut asked.

"During basic training; we're all on a set schedule. It starts at 4:30 am, then we train from 5 am to 6 am. Breakfast from 6-7am. More training from 7-12. Lunch from 12-1. Training 1-5. Dinner, 5-6. Training 6-7. 7-8 is Drill Sergeant time. Then, personal time 8-9. Lights out at 9. It means they shut the lights off and you're expected to go to sleep. Lord help you if you leave your bunk for anything other than the bathroom or a medical reason," Hiccup explained.

"But, it's 9 now?" Viggo said.

"I said during basic. For the monthly drill, we get until 10 pm before they shut 'em off. So right now, this is basically our personal time. We can do laundry, shower, call home, read, or sleep if we want to. It's an hour to wind down after the day," Hiccup stated.

"What do you mean when you say _lord help you if you leave your bunk_ for anything other than two reasons?" Alvin spoke up.

"During Basic, you do what you're told, as you're told, and when you are told. Everything is _Yes Sir_ or _No Sir_. Well, Ma'am if you have a female drill sergeant. Those are the people who train us when we join. You always speak loudly, respectfully, and never make your drill sergeant have to repeat themselves, or it's hell for you. But after lights out; it's bedtime no matter what. You don't leave your bed unless it the bathroom or you need to see the medic. If it's for anything else…You will get the scolding and workout of the lifetime,"

"Has it ever happened to you?" Fishlegs wondered.

"What? Gotten my ass chewed out for doing something wrong?" Hiccup asked as they nodded. "Yeah, plenty of times on Berk," he chuckled. "I'm kidding, partially; that wasn't exactly untrue. But yes; it's happened before," he nodded. "Look, I'm gonna go shower because I don't want to have to deal with it tomorrow morning. You wanna ask more after that, I don't mind," Hiccup grabbed his tower and shower bag; then he moved down the aisle into the bathroom.

"Well, I guess we wait for him to get back," Gobber shrugged.

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:20 pm]  
**_ _[Kastellet Military Base; E Barrack]_

Hiccup returned 10 minutes later wearing his pants, socks, and the towel over his shoulder.

"Still got that wild hair, don't ya?" Gobber mentioned with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I gotta cut it again. The military is gonna yell at me if I don't get it back to regulation length," Hiccup stated.

"It has to be cut a certain way?" Ruffnut blinked.

"Yeah. The girls have to have theirs pulled back in a bun, that thing that Katja does with hers sometimes was it's in a small ball behind her head. For guys; they can do a lot of different things. It can be fully shaved like Colden's. Short, one-length all around like Brynjar's. Uh…Shaved around the sides, shorter top," Hiccup informed.

"How do you do yours?" Thuggory questioned.

"Shaved sides and back, shorter top," Hiccup said as he hung his towel to dry on the post of the top bunk; then pulled on a green t-shirt that ready _ARMY STRONG_ in black letters across the chest. Hiccup put his dog tags back in and sat down on the edge of his bed before laying back. "Ow…Gods, everything hurts,"

"That bad, huh?" Vera giggled.

"I'd like to see you do what I do for just an hour and tell me it doesn't hurt," Hiccup smiled before he sat up again.

"How come you and the others are always saying…0500, 2100?" Dagur inquired.

"Military time," Hiccup stated.

"Explanation?" Tuffnut pushed.

"So you know how I taught you all to read a 12-hour clock, right?" Hiccup began as they nodded. "The military clock is 24 hours,"

"How is that possible when the clock only has 1-12?" Camicazi questioned.

"Because there are 24 hours in a day and each hour on the clock has an AM and PM number," Hiccup said.

"You've lost me," Stoick remarked.

"Okay, let's try it this way. The new day starts at midnight, right? The next hour is 1 am; then 2, 3, 4, 5…You get it," Hiccup began. "When you hit 12 pm or noon, the next hour is 1 pm. Still following?"

"Yes…" they replied slowly.

"Okay, for us…Midnight is 0000 hours; the start of a new day begins at 0. Next is 0100, 1 am. Then, 0200, 2 am. This continues all way to 1200, which is 12 pm or Noon," Hiccup continued.

"So, then you start at 0100 again, don't you?" Astrid stared.

"No. After 1200, we go to 1300; then 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, 2300, and finally 2400. Which, to you, would mean 1 pm all the way through until 12 am when the new day begins again," Hiccup said.

"But you said 12 am was 0000," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Yes, but it's also 2400. Look, it's just how we read things, okay? So, right now it's 2130, 9:30 pm," Hiccup checked his watch.

"It's…confusing, but interesting," Vera smiled.

"That generally how the military is," Hiccup shrugged.

"What do you learn in Basic?" Gobber asked.

"Military history, time, protocol, and laws. Drill commands, marching, teamwork, how to shoot a gun and throw grenades, staying up late, being on guard, awareness to surroundings, how to fight, etc.," Hiccup replied.

"And you have to be on that weird schedule, right?" Eret said.

"Yes," Hiccup nodded.

"And this drill weekend happens every month?" Alvin questioned next.

"Only for 11 of the 12 months. There is one month; usually, June or July where we have to come here for 2 weeks. It's our annual training, physicals, test, so on and so forth," Hiccup enlightened gently.

"Brynjar was saying something about that earlier this morning," Viggo nodded, recalling what his eldest child had said when the soldiers were doing the workout.

"What happens to us when you have to go for 2 weeks?" Heather wondered now.

"Well, that comes down to if you end up going back to the Archipelago by the time it happens. If not and I get your training far enough along to where I feel you can be left alone unsupervised; I may leave you at my house while I go away. Henrik can check in on you, and I'll call to make sure everything is fine," Hiccup stated calmly. There was a knock as Hiccup looked at the door to see Brynjar and his 5 team members.

"Hey, Hic. Can we come in?" Sigvard asked.

"Sure, just don't get in trouble," Hiccup nodded.

"Brynjar said it was okay until 10 pm," Oivind informed.

"Nice. What brings you over?" Hiccup looked at them.

"Just checking on you," Davyn reported.

"I told you; I'm good," Hiccup grumbled.

"Well, we know that now, but still. You were pretty pissed off earlier, had us worried something was going on," Brynjar admitted. "Kongur thinks it's PTSD,"

"I've got my moments, but nothing to be concerned for," Hiccup enlightened.

"As long as you're sure. You know you can talk to us, a counselor, or even your dad if a moment becomes too much," Eirik said. "So what goes on in the E Barrack?"

"Just answering questions," Hiccup shrugged.

"Sounds fun," Jolgeir chuckled. "What question are we on now?"

"Don't know, just finished talking about what happens to them when we go for annual training," Hiccup stated. "You 18 wanna know anything else?"

"How many months of training do you have to do when you join?" Stoick inquired.

"Well, Reception Battalion is 3-5 days. Basic Combat Training is 9 weeks. Right there, that's about 10 weeks, so…2 and a half months. But…That's just Basic. After a week passes when you graduate that as a full-fledged soldier, everyone splits off to do their AIT or Advanced Individual Training. For me…It was only 4 weeks more. Others. It can vary depending on the job someone picked when they joined the army," Hiccup informed.

"Isn't the army itself the job?" Eret blinked.

"Well, yes, but there are a bunch of little jobs that make up the army as a whole. Like…There are medics, people who are trained to take care of sickness and injury. There are drill sergeants, people who train soldiers. There are radio and computer operators, mappers, vehicle and chopper drivers; the list is about endless, but whatever they picked before shipping to Reception Battalion is what they'll go to AIT for," Hiccup said.

"What is your job in the army?" Viggo questioned.

"Me? I'm Infantry," Hiccup revealed.

"And that is?" Snotlout pushed.

"It means we do the missions and fighting. You need information about enemies; you send us to find out. You need someone captured; you send us. You need to infiltrate an enemy base and destroy it from the inside out; you send us. You need a battle fought; we will fight," Hiccup informed. "To put it simply; we're on the front line. First to fight, last to leave, always ready to defend; that's what we live by,"

"Couldn't have said that better myself," Brynjar nodded. "We're a Infantry Battalion; that means all of us are Infantry Soldiers," Suddenly, Hiccup's phone started vibrating as he leaned over to check it since the device was charging. Hiccup groaned in defeat. "What's up?"

"Who is it?" Oivind asked.

"Olivia…" Hiccup sighed as he put a finger to his lips, slid the icon to answer; then tapped speakerphone. "What?"

" _Is that any way to talk to your wife?"_ Olivia inquired.

"Is what you did to me anyway to treat your husband?" Hiccup countered. "What do you want?"

" _You've been ignoring me all day,"_ Olivia remarked.

"Well, I'm not divorcing you so I can talk and spend time with you," Hiccup huffed.

" _Come on, Hiccup; I just want to talk about things…Please?"_ Olivia tried.

"No, Olivia. I don't want to talk about what happened; I don't even want to see or hear from you. There's nothing left to talk about," Hiccup responded.

" _We can work things out if you'd stop being so stubborn,"_ Olivia sighed.

"It's not about being stubborn; you hurt me in ways I didn't think you were capable of doing and that fact that no matter what I do; I'll never forget about you or what you did. The pain will always be there. There is no working out what happened between us, Olivia. You cheated on me for 7 months with my best friend's boyfriend, and got knocked up by him; then tried to pass it off as my baby," Hiccup proclaimed.

" _I know I messed up, Hiccup. It was an accident! What do you want me to do to make it up to you?"_ Olivia bargained.

"I want the only thing I said I wanted the day I kicked you out; a divorce. I don't want apologies; I don't want excuses…I just want the divorce," Hiccup repeated. "I can't forgive you, because it hurts too goddamn much knowing what you did while I was fighting a war to protect you and everyone else I care about," Hiccup explained. "I do love you, and Odin knows part of me always will, but unfortunately, it's not enough to fix what you've done. And it's clear you don't love me as much as you claim,"

" _Please talk to me…I've been trying all day; that should show you how dedicated I am to loving you, and wanting to fix things,"_ Olivia said

"Olivia, just stop, okay? You're only making this harder on yourself, and me. You don't know how this feels for me; to know what you did to me after what we talked about before I left in April 2017. You knew how much I wanted to start a family. You knew how excited I was to become a father. We were going to start when I got home…But it looks like you couldn't wait for me. So instead, to hide your unfaithfulness…You played with my heart and broke it with your lies," Hiccup voiced softly.

" _Where are you anyway?"_ Olivia inquired. _"I'm at the house, let me in…"_

"I'm not at the house; I'm away, training. So why don't you do what you did before and go find someone else to fuck since I'm not around all the time. Find someone else to play because I'm done with your game and you. Sign the divorce papers and leave me alone," he hung up.

Hiccup tossed the phone away from him and lowered his head to rub his temples. "Hic?" Jolgeir asked. "You alright?"

"I'm fine…Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go to bed," Hiccup informed.

"Back to the barracks, boys," Brynjar ordered. "You need anything; a friend to talk to, a shoulder to cry on, a hug, Hiccup…You need anything at all; you come to see me. We're right next door in C. Oh, and if she calls again; bring me the phone. I'm going to give her a piece of my mind. We've all just about had it with how much she's upsetting you,"

Hiccup nodded to him as Brynjar and the other 5 left. Hiccup laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. "Good night," Hiccup said quietly. Not more than 10 minutes later, Hiccup was knocked out.

"LIGHTS OUT!" yelled a loud voice. Thankfully, the Vikings were already laying down an in their beds as the lights automatically shut off. Slowly, they all drifted to sleep by 10:30 pm knowing that tomorrow, according to Hiccup at least, would be more of the same training they witnessed today.


	30. Start Of A Problem

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

The Start Of A Problem

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Saturday, 2/3/2018-7:15 am]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Kastellet Military Base]_

The soldiers were just finished breakfast and making their way onto the field talking about how the morning went. It started with half an hour of working out; then a half an hour hike with all their gear on in marching formation. Now, they were heading for the rest of the day until lunch break at noon. Of course, the laughing and joking stopped upon hearing music playing loudly. It was annoying, fast-paced music that people hated because it would get stuck in their heads for a couple of days.

"What the hell is that?" Brynjar asked.

"Gods, it's making my ears bleed!" a few complained, covering their ears.

"Found it," Davyn pointed up to a boombox playing the awful music on top of a tall pole.

"Well, wasn't that a fun work out and breakfast?" Colden chuckled as he stood before the soldiers. "Who is ready for a challenge?"

"Why do I feel like it involves the music playing from a radio attached to a 25-foot pole?" Hiccup sighed.

"Oh, smart one you are, Sergeant Haddock," Colden laughed a bit. "But you are correct," he nodded. The song changed to Mulan's; _I'll Make A Man Out Of You_.

"Oh no…I already see where this is going," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Care to fill us in?" Sigvard asked.

"Object at the top of a pole and that song playing. Do the math, bro," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"Is he gonna make us climb it to shut it off?!" Oivind whined.

"Oh, much worse," Colden grinned. "You have to shut it off without touching it, then climb to get it down,"

There was a collective groan.

"How the fuck are we supposed to do that?" Brynjar asked.

"That's the challenge, figure it out," Colden smiled.

"Toothless!" Hiccup called.

"What are you doing?" Eirik asked. The Night Fury came over with his mate and stood beside Hiccup, who snapped his fingers.

"Plasma Blast," Hiccup pointed to the radio. Toothless charged a blast as Colden quickly scrambled over and panicked.

"Hey! Hey! No dragons, Haddock! You have to do it yourself!" Colden said quickly. Hiccup sighed as Toothless cut the blast off.

"Maybe next time, you specify," Hiccup smirked.

"No dragons, no ladders," Colden remarked with a huff. Hiccup shrugged and moved to lean against his Night Fury casually.

"Well, there goes that idea. Nice try, Sergeant," Brynjar chuckled.

"Whoever can do it gets out of training tomorrow," Colden offered. Instantly everyone began trying to think of something.

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:30 am]**_

Still nothing, nobody had even gotten close. They'd tried sticks and rocks, but nobody could hit the boombox. Hiccup was the only one who hadn't made an attempt since using his dragon idea got shot down.

"I give up; it's impossible!" one of the girls groaned out.

"Hate to agree…But yeah, this isn't happening," Brynjar agreed as Ander nodded.

"So everyone gives up?" Colden asked.

"Hiccup, come on. You haven't even tried!" Jolgeir accused.

"I did, and was told I couldn't," Hiccup remarked.

"We've been at his for two hours! Help!" Matthias glared at him.

"I got nothing," Hiccup stated.

"You always have something!" Eirik shouted at him.

"Hey, I'm not a miracle worker," Hiccup retorted.

"But you are a Viking, lad," Gobber said. "Think like one. I taught you a lot of stuff in the forge,"

"For the last time! No, I'm-," Hiccup began.

"Hiccup," Vera sighed as she got up and stood next to him. "Yes, you are. Deny it all you want, but you lived, at one point, the same way we did. Just because we moved into a modernized world, doesn't mean we've forgotten the roots on which we started,"

"Vera…You don't understand. I was never like them," Hiccup said.

"Sure, maybe you weren't the kind of Viking we all were, but you are different, and what sets you apart is your understanding of things that are different, like discovering dragons weren't what we thought, that there was more beyond the Archipelago. You always see the other side, a different perspective," Vera smiled with a hand on his shoulder.

"No one's ever said something like that to me before. Well, Henrik and Askel have, but I've never heard it from another Viking. I hated being different…And…It felt like everyone else hated me for it too," Hiccup looked at her.

"You've shown us that different is not always bad; it can be good. Your past makes you who you are, Hiccup," Vera informed gently.

"Yeah…You think you know who I am?" Hiccup chuckled a little.

"I have a pretty good idea. You are kind, caring, understanding, strong, smart, loyal, protective, and you have a big heart. You aren't like us, but you are a Viking. You're your own special brand of Viking. You are different, but it's what makes you…Well, you. You may have this life now, but don't forget where you came from," Vera giggled.

"Awe," Camicazi, Ruffnut, Heather, Astrid, Signy, and Brenna cooed.

"So…Still giving up?" Colden inquired with a grin. Hiccup thought for a moment.

"Think like a Viking, Hiccup…And throw your own spin on it," Vera reminded. Hiccup snapped his fingers with a broad smile.

"I got it!" Hiccup announced.

"You do?!" a few yelled.

"Yes! Yes, I got it. Haha!" Hiccup picked Vera up and span her around before hugging her. Shockingly, Vera blushed and hugged him back. However, they quickly let go when Hiccup realized what he'd done. "I, uh, thank you, Vera," Hiccup said and rubbed the back of his head a bit, laughing nervously.

"You're, um, welcome, Hiccup," Vera blushed a little, looking into his eyes. Everyone saw it; Hiccup was looking right back into hers with the same look. For a moment, everything seemed to stop before Colden cleared his throat, causing both to look away from one another, and blush.

"Go back with the others," Hiccup told her as Vera stepped back with the Vikings.

"You like him…" the girls teased quietly.

Vera glared. "Shut up!" she said defensively. "I-I do not…I was…Only helping,"

"Uh huh…Sure…" they giggled.

 _I don't have a crush on Hiccup…Do I?_ Vera thought, thinking back to what just happened and how her heart starting beating faster and hard when Hiccup hugged her tightly. _Oh, Gods…I think I am starting to like him! What is wrong with me?! No, no…Stay cool, Vera. It's probably nothing, just heat of the moment reactions._ Vera knew that she was fooling herself with that belief; she did feel something for Hiccup, and what scared her is that she didn't know how deep it would run over time.

Hiccup looked around and found a couple of things in the nearest supply shed. Hiccup was inside for a good 15 minutes before he came out holding what appeared to be a bow and arrow. Hiccup stepped a few feet back and looked up before drawing the arrow on the string and pulling it to his cheek while aiming it up at the top of the pole. Hiccup took a deep breath before releasing the arrow. It was like slow-motion, but the arrow struck the boombox dead center and the music cut off. The force, of course, knocked the device off the top of the pole and onto the ground where everyone could see up close that Hiccup's arrow pierced straight through the center.

Everyone was quiet, looking at the boombox and then slowly over to Hiccup.

"That," Jolgeir, Sigvard, and Eirik began.

"Was," Oivind and Davyn went next.

"EPIC!" the 5 of them yelled. Even the Vikings were cheering a bit.

"Holy shit, Haddock!" Brynjar exclaimed.

"That is so cheating!" Matthias yelled.

"Hey, did he use his hands to shut it off physically?" Ander remarked.

"No…" Matthias mumbled.

"And did he use a ladder to get it down?" Brynjar asked.

"No," Matthias sighed.

"Then he didn't cheat, and that was a fucking awesome shot!" Brynjar and Ander said together.

"So not only is he an expert shooter, but archer too…" Colden chuckled a bit. "I'll hand it to ya, Haddock, and I'll give credit where it's due. That…Was impressive and creative," he added with a smile and nod of approval. "I honestly didn't think anyone could do it; this was a joke challenge I came up with. Askel's watching from his office, most of the higher ranking officers are. The only solution we'd come up with was you guys looking for the remote and ramming into the pole. But well done on your idea!"

"Heh…Must be the Viking in me," Hiccup shrugged.

"Yeah…The forge skills I taught you in making weapons," Gobber rolled his eyes. "Proud of yew, laddie,"

"Thanks, Gobber…And you too, Vera," Hiccup smiled.

"Hey, all I did was remind you of who you are. I think you forgot over the years," Vera smiled back.

"I guess I did; I know who to come to if I happen to forget again," Hiccup said gently. Vera blushed a little. He handed her the bow. "Mind holding onto this for me while I finish training for the day?" he asked. Vera nodded lightly and took the bow from him.

"Alright, Haddock won it, so he's off training tomorrow…But you still have to stay on base, Sergeant," Colden reminded.

"No problem," Hiccup nodded.

"Let's get back to it!" Colden called as the soldiers got ready, still loving what they saw happen.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Sunday, 2/4/2018-4 am]**_

A loud boom caused everyone on base to wake from their slumber. Hiccup shot up in bed, very alert and looking around quickly.

"What's happening?!" Vera asked instantly. Hiccup threw the covers off as there was another loud sound heard; it was enough to shake the barrack. Hiccup struggled to keep his balance while getting to the door and trying to peer outside the window. There was gunfire as Hiccup quickly crouched below and stayed against the wall.

"Hiccup, what's going-," Stoick started.

"Will you shut up! If I knew; I wouldn't be acting so cautious!" Hiccup snapped. There were loud explosion sounds and gunfire still. Hiccup peered outside to see smoke and flashes of orange, people running around and giving orders. "Oh, you fuckers would…Ambush war drill," Hiccup muttered. "Just stay back and do as you're told," he ordered.

Not arguing; the Vikings nodded as the door burst open and someone, masked, rushed in and tackled Hiccup down. Hiccup got punched on the right side of the face as he pushed the other person back until he could free one of his legs and kick the person off. Hiccup got out and stood as the person did as well, lifting a gun up. Hiccup leaned left as the weapon fired. Hiccup used his arm to wrap around the person's, twisting it until he released the gun. Hiccup used his right palm to hit the attacker's face, then hook his leg to the person's yanking it out to cause the person to fall on his back with a grunt before he went unconscious.

"Okay…They've never done that before," Hiccup said to himself, but the others heard. "Is this a real attack?..." he questioned, but before he could answer; two more entered as Hiccup readied himself; the people charged as Hiccup leaned to avoid one attack but the second lunged at one of the Vikings. Vera screamed in fear. "NO!" he yelled as Hiccup quickly shoved her out of the way and was grabbed instead; his arms getting held down.

"Hiccup!" Vera yelled; Hiccup just got grabbed saving her! Vera's tone was filled with worry, which was surprising for Hiccup to hear.

"J-Just stay back...I won't let anything happen to anyone...I-I promise," Hiccup struggled to get loose as the second person approached while pulling out his gun. Hiccup panted a little; he needed an idea now. Then it hit him hard. Hiccup narrowed his eyes now and Hiccup whipped his head back into the person holding him, causing the grip to loosen; then he elbowed the male in the gut before throwing a punch out to hit the second guy. Now free, Hiccup kicked the gun from the person holding it. Both males faced Hiccup as he was in the middle; the two prepared to punch.

Hiccup ducked down as they hit each other. One held his face, hissing at how it felt. Hiccup stood up to shove him back into one of the beds. Outside, Hiccup heard voices.

"Well, done soldiers! Perfect execution!" Colden called. Having been distracted for only a moment while Colden called the drill over; the other person pulled out a hidden dagger and went for Hiccup, he quickly jumped back, but the knife sliced him on the side.

"Ah!" Hiccup held his side, then pulled his hand away to see blood.

"What was that?" someone outside asked.

"Came from Haddock's barrack," another mentioned.

"Haddock, you did well at protecting your civilians; that was what I expected from you in all this. Come on out, front and center!" Colden yelled.

"Hiccup! Are you alright?!" Vera asked with deep concern for him.

"I-I'm good. Just stay there where you're safe!" Hiccup demanded. "I'm not...I won't...I can't...I refuse to lose anyone else!"

Hiccup panted as he cringed weakly, but forced himself to move when the person came at him again. Hiccup glared as he crouched low to kick the male back into the wall, then spin quickly to avoid being shot again. "Was that a gunshot?" someone outside inquired. "Haddock! Everything okay?"

"Haddock?" Ander shouted. Hiccup breathed heavy as he threw his arm out to keep the man from coming from behind. Hiccup elbowed him in the throat and used his foot to get him down; he yelled out as he whirled the man across the room and through the barrack door on onto the ground.

"What the hell?" Brynjar asked. "I thought you said it was just a drill to make sure we could get up and form up outside ready to fight?" he asked Colden.

"It was!" Colden stated quickly. "Hiccup?!" he called running in quickly. Brynjar, Ander, Matthias, and the Strike Unit males right being him. Hiccup panted, making sure there was no else; then he moved to look at Colden. Hiccup cringed, and his arm dropped from his midsection, revealing blood. "Jesus...What the hell happened, Haddock?"

"En-Enemy attack..." Hiccup winced weakly before his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he started going down.

"Hiccup!" Brynjard darted forward and caught him quickly. Brynjar saw the blood coming through more and his eyes widened. "He's hurt!"

"This is Sergeant Kongur calling Med-1. Send a team to Alpha Company, Barrack E on the double. Sergeant Hiccup Haddock has been hurt and is unconscious. Injury level yellow," Ander said after grabbing Matthias's radio off his belt.

" _Med-1 responding. We're on our way, Sergeant Kongur. Keep Haddock still and apply pressure. Type of injury?"_

"Looks like a slice from a knife or dagger. Doesn't appear too deep, but still light bleeding," Ander replied.

"3 people rushed attacked him," Gobber said as the Vikings were coming out now. "Hiccup dealt with the first one, then 2 more came and attacked together. That one," he pointed to the person Hiccup threw out of the barrack, "is the one who had the dagger,"

"Was this…not part of training?" Viggo asked.

"No, Dad; it wasn't! Gimme something to hold on the wound!" Brynjar demanded. Someone rushed forward with a few towels as Brynjar instantly put them in the wound to stop the bleeding. "Colden! Don't just stand there, do something!"

"Major, you need to call Olsen and tell him we had a break in during the drill. This is very bad; Hiccup was attacked and wounded by these people," Matthias shook Colden, who was standing there in shock. Colden finally snapped out of it and focused. Colden got his phone and dialed Major General Askel Olsen.

"Askel…We have a problem," Colden said as a team of 2 medics arrived to start assessing and treating Hiccup. "Sergeant Hiccup Haddock was injured during a war drill by enemies. I'll be by in 15 minutes to explain once I have a status report on the wounded," Colden hung up a second later as one medic looked at him.

"Nothing too deep, he won't need stitches, and the passing out was likely due to all the fast movements, confusion, and pain," she reported firmly.

"Thank the Gods," Colden relaxed a little.

"We'll wrap the wound, and then it is best if he rests until he awakens. Sergeant Haddock will need to take it easy for a few days to a week," the male medic stated afterward.

"For what he did on his own against armed enemies; I believe he's more than earned it," Colden informed. "Brynjar, Ander…Get Haddock into his barrack. Rasmussen…You're his battle buddy; you will stay with him. The rest of you…Nobody says anything. Not until we understand what happened. If anyone asks…He was injured during the exercise,"

"Yes, sir," Sigvard saluted. The medics worked together to apply some ointment to the wound; then use a little gauze and finally, wrap the wound. Brynjar and Ander carefully picked Hiccup up and brought him into the E Barrack; then Sigvard went in behind them. The Vikings also followed and just found places to sit; they knew right away they wouldn't be doing anything more until Hiccup woke up.

"I can't believe he got attacked," Ander closed his eyes.

"But he did his duty according to the situation. Hiccup thought it was a war drill; people came in, and he fought to keep himself and the civilians safe," Brynjar sighed.

"Who would want to hurt Hiccup, though?" Sigvard asked.

"Dane, Olivia…I don't really know," Brynjar shrugged. "Stay with him, keep us posted,"

"Yes, Lieutenant Holt," Sigvard nodded as Ander and Brynjar left. Sigvard sat on the extra bed next to Hiccup's and sighed. "One hell of a soldier, Haddock…The rest of you should probably just get some sleep. Haddock will be out for a few hours," he told them. Feeling that there wasn't much they could do; they returned to their beds, but never went to sleep. The Vikings stayed quiet and watched Hiccup lay there motionless, but breathing. He got hurt protecting them, despite how terribly he was treated; Hiccup had gotten hurt this morning to keep them safe.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:30 am]  
**_ _[Kastellet Base; Askel's Office]_

"Major General Olsen; I have no idea what this is all about. Alright? All I do know is that 3 unidentified soldiers not from our military used a war drill to sneak in and attack us. And they didn't hurt anyone at random; all 3 converged on Sergeant Haddock's barrack, and he did defeat them, but was injured by a dagger," Colden explained quickly.

"You're making this out to be like it was a planned attack and Hiccup was the target," Askel said.

"What if that's exactly what it was, Askel? Despite Hiccup being here for the last 8 years; he is still a Viking by blood…Enemies attacked the day we were there, and Hiccup is the one who pushed back the entire attack with Toothless. You don't miss the one guy with a Night Fury, sir…And he was wearing our uniform. He'd be an easy target to locate. Vikings are being targeted…That's why our orders changed. And Hiccup is a Viking. I'm not saying that this is what's going on…But I think it's worth taking to headquarters as something to maybe worry about and investigate…" Colden stated firmly.

Askel sighed and closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, I cannot argue with those facts. I will call for a meeting, and we'll discuss this matter. If this is the case; then it's the start of a major problem,"


	31. It Would Be A Perfect Day

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

It Would Be A Perfect Day

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 2/4/2018-7 am]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Kastellet Base]_

"The rest of you return to your training. Brynjar, Ander, Strike Unit, and myself; we're going to check on Hiccup," Colden informed as breakfast ended and Alpha Company exited the mess hall. Sigvard elected to miss breakfast to stay with Hiccup and watch the Vikings.

Right now, the base was on full alert as patrols were taking place to make sure there were no more secret intruders lurking about. Also, the 3 who attacked Hiccup were being detained by military police for questioning on if what happened was intentional to hurt Hiccup or that's just the outcome of him stepping in to protect others when he realized things didn't seem right. Colden was satisfied that Askel would handle the possible situation from here, but Colden's job was to ensure his soldiers were okay and safe.

Reaching the door to E Barrack, Colden knocked a few times. Sigvard lifted his head and looked over. "Major Kongur?" he asked.

"It is me. Along with Brynjar. Ander, and the rest of Strike Unit," Colden walked in with the other 6 people he mentioned. "How is he?"

"Hasn't moved since we put him here," Sigvard reported.

"Brought ya something to eat," Oivind handed him a plate with eggs, toast, and sausage on it. Jolgeir tossed him a water bottle.

"Thanks, what about them?" Sigvard inquired.

"It's coming," Brynjar informed. "So, no change in him?"

"Nope," Sigvard shook his head. "They find out anything from those people yet?"

"We haven't been told," Ander remarked.

"I still don't understand how this happened," Colden sighed.

"It was 4 am, Major. Things were crazy with the drill exercise; it was dark, and you even said Haddock did what you expected he would have. Fight breaks out in a populated area; he kept the civilians out of the battle and safe in one place. As it would be labeled…Enemies broke in, and he was left to defend them alone," Davyn mentioned.

"Yeah, but it's not a label, Davyn…It actually happened, and Hiccup got hurt," Eirik mumbled. "We should have been in the barrack with him,"

"How were any of us to know real enemies would infiltrate and attack?" Jolgeir huffed.

"We're a team; this is drill weekend, we know this kind of surprise exercise happens. We should have been with him," Eirik glared.

"Alright, that's enough…" Colden warned. "There are a lot of could've, should've, and would've's…But things happened the way they did, and we can't go back now. The entire base on alert because of this," he added.

"What doesn't make sense is why they only went for Haddock's barrack," Ander said. "Did anyone else notice that?"

"It was madness a few hours ago; 3 people break in and out of everyone in the open while they had weapons…They only came to this barrack when Hiccup was alone. I did find that a bit off myself," Brynjar nodded. "You don't know anything, do you Major Kongur?"

"I noticed, and brought it up with Olsen…He said he would look into things, but I suppose all that starts with interrogating those 3 enemies," Colden replied, not wanting to say anything else. In the silence, groaning was heard as everyone's eyes fixated on Hiccup's figure; he was beginning to stir and move his head to the side before his eyes opened slowly.

"Hiccup?" Sigvard asked. Hiccup moaned a bit as he tried to sit up, quickly wincing and cringing as he held his side.

"Stay down, Sergeant," Colden ordered. "Gave us quite the scare earlier,"

"S-Sorry…" Hiccup coughed a bit.

"It's not your fault," Eirik told him. "We should have come in the minute you didn't come out when Colden called the drill over,"

"Or stayed in the barrack with you," Sigvard sighed. "You gave 'em hell, though,"

Hiccup forced a laugh through the pain. "Don't I…Always?" he panted.

"One of the best fighters in the Alpha Company," Brynjar chuckled.

"Glad you're okay, man," Ander said.

"Seriously…Don't go dying on us. I don't wanna have to tell your family or my sister," Brynjar mumbled.

"I'll…Try to keep that…In mind," Hiccup said. His eyes glanced around and saw the Vikings sitting there. "All of you okay?"

"What?" Stoick questioned, a bit surprised. Hiccup forced himself to sit up, breathing heavily.

"I asked if all of you were okay?" Hiccup used the pole of the bed to pull himself to his feet.

"Yes…Y-You didn't let anyone get hurt," Heather replied.

"Good…Then I did my job," Hiccup responded.

"We could have helped!" Stoick yelled at him. Hiccup didn't get mad; he just stared.

"What could you have done against weapons you can't defend yourselves against? Against enemies you don't know how to fight?" Hiccup asked. "You froze when those people came in," he added.

"You could have been killed, Hiccup! For Odin's sake; I just got you back…I don't want to lose you again!" Stoick stood now.

Hiccup took a breath now. "On Berk or the other islands; you may all be able to hold your ground against each other, and even the dragons…You were always trying to keep me out of the fights because you didn't think I could do it. But here…You're just civilians. You're just regular people that myself and the other soldiers are tasked with protecting. You aren't in charge of protecting anything here. I am. It's my job to defend you now. When enemies attack; it's your job to stay back and let me do my job,"

"But, son…" Stoick reached for him as Hiccup stared firmly. "It's my job to protect you…"

"Not anymore it isn't. You can't protect me forever, Dad. Sooner or later; I would have had to learn how to live my life without your help. You wanted me to be Chief; the person who protects the island from danger. I'm a soldier; I protect all of it. That is my job as a soldier for Denmark, Greenland, and the Archipelago. I know the cost of being a soldier and protecting the people I care about, and if the day comes I have to pay that price…So be it. I'm not afraid to die for my home. So, for once in your lives just trust and listen to me and let me be the guy everyone wanted me to be 8 years ago. You wanted me to be a fighter then, now I am. If I die; then I do it knowing I kept you safe…And that's enough for me. So when shit like this happens; sit the hell back, do as your told, let me fight…And let me protect you," Hiccup informed before he walked down the aisle to get into the bathroom.

"I've…Never heard him talk like that," Fishlegs said.

"That wasn't the type of person Hiccup was back then; he wasn't a fighter, like his mother," Gobber stated.

"None of us like to fight; we hate it. But…We fight for the right reasons to defend what we love here at home. The motto of the Danish Military is; _Because some things are worth fighting for_ ," Ander enlightened.

"But Hiccup's not alone in what he says," Colden informed. "What he just told you is the long version of what every soldier who joins the military swears to do. We all take that oath and live by it until the day we die. We all know the cost, the prices we might have to pay, but we aren't afraid of the end. It just means we died doing what we swore to do, and that is an honorable death we're proud to take when we go,"

Regardless of what they were hearing; the Vikings were still shocked to hear what Hiccup straight up told them. Hiccup right out said to let him fight for them, to protect them. Hiccup came out a minute or so later and grabbed a shirt from his bag, slipping it on over the wrappings on his side.

"How are you feeling?" Brynjar asked him.

"Side hurts like a bitch, but I think I'll live," Hiccup replied.

"Medic probably has Vicodin or Percocet for that," Colden stated. "Now, you won yesterday's challenge, so no training today, which works out because you're injured and will be resting for a week. So, before you go home to do that…You up for that eval?"

"Medic first, then sure?" Hiccup asked.

"Deal. Go on; you know where to go for eval," Colden motioned to him to leave.

"Yes, sir," Hiccup nodded as he starts getting his stuff on; then 5 minutes later, he was heading out the door.

"You 8 stay here with them," Colden said before departing as well.

 **. . .**

 _ **[10 am]**_

Hiccup returned to the barrack with Colden a few hours later. Walking inside, Colden had his arm around Hiccup's shoulder and rubbing a bit.

"So, I'm good?" Hiccup asked.

"You're where we expected you to be, and it's perfectly normal, but if things change; you say something. Understand? And think about what I suggested, alright?" Colden stated. Hiccup nodded as Colden give him a push towards his bed. "Good. Now, pack up and head home. I'll see you in March, and since I know I'll miss your birthday; happy 22nd,"

"Heh, thanks, Major," Hiccup replied.

Colden turned and left the barrack as Hiccup was grabbing the rest of his stuff. "Need help?" Brynjar offered.

"Nah, I got it," Hiccup assured as he closed up the bag and threw it over his shoulder.

"See ya when we get back tomorrow, or in a couple days?" Sigvard wondered.

"Yeah, we'll plan something," Hiccup replied.

"Alright, we'll see ya around," Davyn stated. Hiccup connected hands with each of them as he motioned his head for the Vikings to follow him; then they left the barrack and made the walk to the parking area before loading into the truck. Hiccup started it up, and soon, they were on their way back to Dragor.

 **. . .**

 _ **[10:45 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

After parking, Hiccup moved to the door and disabled the alarm before walking in the rest of the way. Hiccup went right to his room to drop his back and start getting his uniform off to change into something comfortable. By 11 am; he was back out in black sweatpants and a red short-sleeve shirt.

"How's your side?" Camicazi asked.

"It'll heal in a couple days; it's not nearly as bad as some of the wounds I've gotten over the years," Hiccup stated.

"What's the worst?" Stoick inquired.

"I should say that was the Iraq deployment," Hiccup replied.

"What happened?" Vera questioned.

"I, uh, can't really tell you about that," Hiccup informed with a nervous chuckle.

"Why not?" Snotlout pushed.

"Not allowed," Hiccup shrugged.

"How so? I mean, you told us you got hurt and where at…But not how it happened?" Astrid arched a brow.

"Military rules, guys. There are some things that soldiers can't talk about with civilians; it's a security thing," Hiccup explained. "There are things that not even Henrik knows, and he's ex-military,"

"Was this injury the one Henrik said you almost didn't survive?" Gobber tried now.

"Yes," Hiccup nodded as he grabbed a drink from the fridge. "The only parts I can tell you is that I got shot and if it hadn't been for Brynjar keeping me awake with pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding; I'd probably be dead," he added. "Honestly, the entire thing is still a little fizzy for me; I don't remember much of that night," he admitted. "I know what happened because I was told after I woke up about 6 hours later,"

"Where were you shot?" Ruffnut asked now. Hiccup lifted his left pants leg up and showed them the scar on his thigh.

"How long did it take you to heal?" Viggo arched a curious brow.

"About 2 months; I spent 2 weeks in the hospital; then the rest was me using a pair of crutches or Toothless to get around. I was doing desk work since I couldn't be on missions, so I ran them from an office," he fixed his sweatpants now and sat down. "Though, I did start running guards and patrols after 2 months. Colden wouldn't let me back on actual missions until it had been 3 months; he wanted to make sure I was 100% good,"

"I thought people who get hurt end up discharged?" Eret said.

"Some do, it depends how bad the injury is. If someone loses a limb; they are out. And anything else; it really gets determined on the location of the wound and if a soldier can still perform their duties without a handicap once the healing is deemed finished. As an example, if I healed after 8 or 9 weeks but still couldn't do all the exercises, run, shoot, stuff like that; they would have discharged me. I've been hurt a lot of times, but as long as I can still do the job expected of me after I've healed without any help from an object or someone else; then I stay," Hiccup explained.

"Ah," Alvin nodded. "So if someone were to be injured in the chest, heal, but continue to have trouble breathing, or can't have too much pressure on, or run because they'd be out of breath; then…They would be let go, yes?"

"That's right," Hiccup replied.

"So what do we get to work on now that drill is over?" Brenna wondered.

"Haven't decided yet; I'll cross that bridge when I get there tomorrow," Hiccup yawned.

"You look tired," Vera pointed out.

"It's the painkillers," Hiccup replied. "They help you sleep so your body can heal,"

"Why don't you get some sleep then? I think we'll be okay for a bit," Vera chuckled.

"Lunch is an hour, who is gonna make that if I'm sleeping?" Hiccup inquired.

"We'll make sandwiches or something. We promise not to use the oven, stove, or microwave," Astrid added.

"Alright…" Hiccup said uneasily about the situation as he relaxed in his chair and put the footrest up before reclining back. "Toothless. Lightheart…Keep your eyes on them," he added. Both furies warbled in response as Hiccup grabbed the blanket off the back of the chair and threw it over himself before turning a bit and closing his eyes.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Sunday, 2/25/2018-6 pm]**_

Hiccup healed in a week as he said he would; his wound didn't even hurt after day 3, but Brynjar suggested that Hiccup don't push it, so Hiccup didn't. It had been a few weeks since drill, and Hiccup was working on teaching the Vikings some of the jobs people do, and the laws set by the queen. Things had been going good, and now it was the end of February. Olivia still hadn't signed the divorce papers; Hiccup was getting annoyed with it and was considering to take her to court just to have the judge take care of things since it had been 3 months now. Hiccup's birthday was coming up, and tonight Henrik, Mari, Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas were over Hiccup's house for dinner.

"That was good son; I must say, I'm impressed with how well you cook," Henrik chuckled.

"I learned from the best," Hiccup remarked. "You taught me everything I know about modern life, any of the things I do are because of you,"

"I think we should get ice cream!" Lilly exclaimed.

"What's that?" Vera asked.

"Oh, my Gods! Hiccup, they've been here for 3 months, and you haven't introduced them to the best frozen, sugary treat in the world!" Britta said quickly.

"I, uh, was getting around to it," Hiccup shrugged.

"Well, why don't you go take your night flight, let us clean up since you cooked, and grab ice cream for everyone on your way home?" Mari suggested.

"Yeah, I guess I can do that," Hiccup said.

"Get the stuff to make sundaes! Take Hagen with you to help pick out everyone's favorites," Lukas added.

"Alright," Hiccup nodded. "Come on, little brother," Hagen hurried over as Hiccup and him left with Toothless. Lightheart remained behind and laid down tiredly. As soon as Hiccup and Hagen were in the air on Toothless, Britta smiled.

"They're gone," Britta announced.

"You were trying to get rid of him?" Stoick blinked.

"Can't throw a surprise party if he knows about it," Henrik said. "We're doing it because sadly, he's used to no one remembering. The 29th only comes once every 4 years. This year, everyone is home and available, and we know he's been miserable about the Olivia thing, so we're gonna throw him a party to cheer him up,"

"Can we help?" Ruffnut and Tuffnut asked together.

"Of course!" Mari nodded. "We're hoping you'll keep him busy and out of the house while we set up," she giggled.

"How so?" Gobber wondered.

"Well, you're gonna suggest places he could take you for an hour or 2," Lilly said.

"Where? He's taken us to the zoo and aquarium," Astrid said.

"What about the mall?" Britta tried.

"Uh, nope. Haven't done that yet," Fishlegs said.

"Perfect then. Ask if he'll take you there for the experience that morning and suggest going in the afternoon like around 2 pm. He'll agree because he knows it's slower," Mari mentioned. "So we need to invite the guests, figure out foods, decorations…" she listed off.

"Relax, Mar. It won't be hard; we know Hiccup's favorites," Henrik chuckled a little. "And guests should be difficult either," he added afterward.

"Oh, this is going to be awesome!" Lukas and Lilly cheered.

"We can do it on Saturday, the 3rd," Mari stated.

"It will be a fantastic day," Britta smiled as they continued to make lists and work on things. The Vikings were interested in this, and they liked they had the job of keeping Hiccup busy and unsuspecting of what would be happening. They'd missed years and years of Hiccup's birthdays; this would be a chance to celebrate it right and have a great time. Parties at Hiccup's were always fun, but likely better when he doesn't know it's for him. This would be a perfect day.


	32. Finally Free

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Finally Free

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Saturday, 3/10/2018-3 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

The party got moved to the 10th because everyone forgot Hiccup and the other soldiers had drill at the start of March. Now, everything was set up, and ready; they just needed Hiccup to come back with the Vikings. "I see them!" Katja called from the window.

"Alright, everyone hide," Mari instructed quickly. Everyone hid quickly as the truck pulled up; thankfully, they had their dragons hiding in the back or were parked a little bit away so Hiccup wouldn't figure out they were there. Outside, Hiccup parked and shut the vehicle off.

"Let's get inside; looks like rain soon," Hiccup told the Vikings. Quickly, they all hurried out while trying to hide their excitement about what was waiting for Hiccup past the doors. "Whatever you're all trying to hide, you're doing an awful job at,"

"What do you mean?" Vera giggled.

"I just know something is up…You're all acting weird. Well, weirder," Hiccup remarked as he unlocked the door and pushed it open while flipping on the lights.

"SURPRISE!" everyone jumped up. Hiccup jumped a bit, holding his chest.

"Odin almighty! Are you trying to put me in an early grave!" Hiccup panted, trying to calm down as the others laughed.

"Oh, stop…You're 22; you're in peak form…You're not going to have a heart attack," Henrik chuckled. "And happy birthday, son," Henrik hugged him.

"My birthday was over a week ago," Hiccup returned the hug as the Vikings were making their way inside while Hiccup greeted the others.

"Well, we were gonna do it on the 3rd, but you had drill," Katja smiled; she was definitely showing that she was 24 weeks pregnant and expecting a boy; she had found that out at 21 weeks and 4 days along. Katja was planning to name him Rowan Hiccup Oliversen, but Hiccup didn't know that yet; it was Katja's gift to Hiccup because she was going to ask Hiccup to be Rowan and Dagny's Godfather. Dagny's last name had also been changed to Oliversen; there was no longer a connection to Dane other than blood and it had been established more than once that blood did not make you family.

"So this is why they wanted to get me out of the house to the place we could kill a few hours, wasn't it?" Hiccup asked now, smiling.

"It was your family's idea, Hiccup," Gobber laughed a little. "Happy birthday, laddie,"

"Thanks. Wow, I thought I was too old for parties," Hiccup connected hands with Jolgeir, Oivind, Brynjar, Sigvard, Eirik, and Davyn.

"Hiccup! It's been so long!" said another voice.

"Eira!" Hiccup hugged her tightly. "It's been a couple of months, yeah," he nodded.

"You're always busy," Eira poked his chest with a smile. "And I hear you're single too. Call me if you get bored," she winked.

"Heh, easy there, Eir." Hiccup said.

"Well, guess we found out who one of the girls Hiccup would call to get laid is," Davyn joked.

"Shut it!" Hiccup warned. "But in fairness, I did tell you back in February I had people I could call if I wanted to get laid that bad," he added with a shrug.

"Can call me too, Hic," Frieda laughed.

"Your brother would kill me," Hiccup reminded.

"He doesn't have to know," Frieda said seductively.

"What is it with my friends wanting to have sex with me so badly? Good Odin above…" Hiccup sighed. "You 2," he motioned to Jolgeir and Eirik. "And now you 2," he moved his hands to show Eira and Frieda. "What's next, Kat?"

"Well, I mean…If you're offering…?" Katja teased.

"KAT! YOUR BROTHER IS RIGHT THERE" Hiccup pointed to Brynjar, who seemed unphased by the remark.

"He doesn't care," Katja shrugged.

"You're okay with this?" Hiccup blinked at Brynjar.

"I trust you, Hiccup; I know you wouldn't hurt her in a physical, mental, or emotional sense," Brynjar informed.

"You know what; I'm not even going to continue this subject with a 10-foot pole," Hiccup sighed, giving up on the matter. "But it is good to see you both again," Hiccup said to Eira and Frieda.

"Who are these women, Hiccup? We haven't met them yet," Gobber asked.

"Right, sorry. Vikings…This is Eira Solveig; she's another friend of mine that I met in my first year here. Eira works as a family lawyer, making sure the best interests of the children are met it family court. And next to her is Frieda Knight; she's my Strike Class trainer at the dragon academy. Her brother is Frode Knight, white hair and blue eyes; he's in the Danish Air Force, another branch of the military, but not here right now. Is he…Still deployed, Frieda?" Hiccup introduced both females to them.

"Yeah, for another 3 months,"

"And I know who they are; your friends filled us in during set up," Eira smiled.

"Saves me another long introduction," Hiccup chuckled. "Alright, so party time?" he asked; he honestly felt like he was 14 again. Henrik, Mari, and the Anderson kids threw him a small party back in 2010 after he was settled in their home.

"So, where you surprised?" Britta asked.

"Of course; I was not expecting this at all. I feel like a kid again; you guys threw me a surprise party for my 14th birthday too…" Hiccup chuckled.

"Nice little tribute to mark your 8 years here, huh?" Brynjar laughed.

"Hell yeah," Hiccup nodded. "Which one of you asses brought the alcohol? I know it was one of you 6 specifically," he accused his friends.

"Guilty," Sigvard lifted the bottle of Fireball Whiskey up.

"And we got these specially made," Davyn added, revealing a clear shot glass with the Strike Unit logo on it. "There's one for Brynjar too; we know he's not on the Strike Unit, but he's a good leader to the platoon and friend to all 6 of us," he explained.

"One for each of us," Eirik added in. "They all have our callsigns on them; yours is Night Fury, and we added that yours says Team Leader,"

"Also guilty of bringing alcohol," Oivind gave him a 24-pack of Ceres Red Eric beer in the cans. "But these and the whiskey are just for you," he added.

"Yeah, we brought our own stuff," Jolgeir nodded.

"Yep. It's the Strike Unit gift to you," Brynjar informed.

"Awe, you guys…You're gonna make me cry," Hiccup joked, fake sniffling. "So…I say we drown the tears with a birthday shot,"

"Hey, whatever you want, bro," Sigvard stated.

"Hiccup, it's only 3 in the afternoon; try not to get drunk before we've even started," Mari sighed.

"Leave 'im be, Mar," Henrik laughed a bit. "It's his birthday," the boys poured their shot and tapped the glasses together before sucking it back before laughing afterward.

"Party on!" Brynjar called as Hiccup used the remote to turn on the music.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:30 pm]**_

Everything was going great. People had a beverage in hand, snacks to eat, talking with others, and the music kept the atmosphere cheerful and fun. Everyone already had dinner; it was cheeseburgers, hot dogs, ribs, and chicken. There was also pizza because it was one of Hiccup's absolute favorite foods.

"Hiccup, why don't you do presents? Then we can do the cake?" Britta suggested.

"I really didn't expect anything," Hiccup stated.

"Well, too bad!" they yelled at him.

Hiccup blinked a bit. "Okay, okay! I'm going!" he said defensively while moving to sit in his chair.

"We'll get them for you!" Lilly and Lukas offered, but Hiccup noticed Valda and Halvor looking a little down. Hiccup knew they were his half-siblings; he shouldn't leave them out, and they likely felt bad that he never did anything with them as he did with his adoptive siblings.

"Hang on a sec you 2," Hiccup told them as they stopped. "You do it every birthday, I think there are two others who might like a chance to help their older brother," Hiccup got up and moved over to Valda and Halvor with a smile. "Would you like to help bring presents over to me?" he asked them. The 2 of them had broad, excited smiles on their faces as they nodded their head to him. Hiccup laughed a bit. "Alright, come on then," he helped them off the couch and sent them running to where the gifts where. Hiccup sat back down, seeing everyone stare at him. "What?" he asked. "Oh, come on; I'm not gonna not include them in stuff…" he mumbled.

"You're such a good big brother," Katja clapped her hands.

"Well, yeah. They are my siblings as much as Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas are. We're one all family here; it doesn't matter how it came to be," Hiccup shrugged as Halvor reached Hiccup first with a present, then Valda right behind him. "Thank you," Hiccup took the one from Halvor, and Valda set hers down on the table. Then the two rushed off to get more.

"Just like in our song, right, Unka?" Dagny inquired.

"That's right, Princess," Hiccup nodded.

"Can you sing it? Pwease?!" Dagny pleaded.

"I will, but only if we include all the kids; we should share, right?" Hiccup told her. Dagny nodded as Hiccup motioned for his siblings to join them.

"Can we sit with you too?" Valda asked.

"Yeah, can we big brother?" Halvor said afterward.

"Of course," Hiccup set Dagny on the arm of his chair while he picked up Valda first, setting her on his right knee, then Halvor on his right. Hagen decided to get on the other arm of the chair. Lilly and Lukas were on the right, Britta on the left, but the three of them were standing. Hiccup used his phone to change the song playing as it was connected via Bluetooth.

"Oh, this is gonna be so cute," Eira, Frieda, and Katja giggled, instantly breaking out their phones to take pictures and record video. The music started as Hiccup took a breath. **(Song is "We Are One" from The Lion King 2.)**

"Can you teach that to us, Hiccup?" Halvor asked.

"Sure," Hiccup nodded with a smile.

"That was adorable," Vera beamed. Hiccup only shrugged a bit as the kids got off to all work together in bringing gifts over. Hiccup went to sit back until they were done, but there was a knock on the door. Hiccup glanced over, curious.

"Who else you invite?" Hiccup asked.

"Um…Ander, and Colden, but they had a family thing to do," Brynjar stated. "And said they'd try to come by later," Hiccup got up and moved to the door; he opened it to find Colden and Ander there. "Well, I guess it's later," he chuckled.

"Major and Sergeant Kongur, welcome," Hiccup opened the door more to let them in.

"Thank you. Out of curiosity…Is she supposed to be here too?" Colden motioned behind him as Hiccup looked and was shocked to see Olivia standing there.

"No, actually," Hiccup remarked. "You 2 go in," he added as Colden and Ander entered the house, and now everyone could see Olivia there.

"Oh, this isn't gonna be good," Sigvard sighed.

"Not after last time," Davyn agreed.

"What's happened?" Henrik asked.

"Olivia called Hiccup during February drill, and they argued about her wanting to give things another try. Hiccup was pissed," Eirik informed.

"Yeah, Hiccup told her right out to go find another guy to screw since he was away and busy, just like before…" Jolgeir added. The room was quiet now, wondering what would happen. Hiccup and Olivia hadn't seen one another face to face since November 22, 2017 when Hiccup told her he was done and wanted a divorce.

"What do you want, Olivia?" Hiccup asked calmly.

"I want to talk…You ignore my texts and calls…So I came in person," Olivia replied.

"You wasted your time, and now you're wasting mine," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, please?..." Olivia tried again, reaching for his hand, but Hiccup stepped back to avoid her.

"No, Olivia. I told you, we're way past talking. I said everything I wanted to you in November," Hiccup remarked. "The only thing I want from you is a divorce. The same one I filed for 3 months ago and is waiting on your signature," he stated.

"I'm not signing them, Hiccup…I love you; I don't want a divorce…" Olivia whimpered a bit.

"I'm done playing this game with you, and I don't care what you want, just like you didn't care what I wanted," Hiccup said sternly. "How can you tell me you love me? Is your way of showing me you love me by hopping into bed with another man while I'm away? Getting pregnant by someone who isn't your husband and trying to pass it off as mine? If that's your idea of showing me you love me?"

"It was just a drunken accident!" Olivia defended.

"That you repeated over and over again, sober, for 7 goddamn months every couple of days on an agreement with my best friend's now locked up in prison ex-boyfriend!" Hiccup yelled at her as she backed up a little. "That's not a fucking accident, Olivia! It was a choice that YOU made because you were lonely when I wasn't home. Because I was in Afghanistan, fighting in the war! I wish I could blame it all on Dane because he's a manipulative, ill-tempered, abusive little asshole, but I can't…Because despite the fact he may have had the idea to do everything…Despite that, Olivia…You still chose to agree, so it's just as much your fault,"

"We can still make things work…I-I know we can. You say there's nothing left, but I don't believe you, Hiccup. A-And you said you still loved me…And you're still wearing your ring, so I know what we have there; we can get it back with time…Please…Please just give me another chance?" Olivia begged. Hiccup's eyes cast to his ring; she was right. Hiccup never took it off despite it being 3 months since everything. For half a second, his mind flashed to their wedding day. "You said as long as you wore it; we'd be together…" she reminded.

"Remember? Just as this circle is never-ending, my love for you is never-ending. With this ring, I take you to be my partner for life. I offer you my heart, my hand, and my love. With all that I am, with all that I have. I will honor you as my husband forever more?" Olivia said.

"Oh, that sly bitch…" Britta grumbled.

"Britta Anderson!" Mari scolded.

"What, Mom? She's using the vows against him…" Britta exclaimed.

"Your brother can fight his own battles," Henrik stated, though, he agreed with his eldest daughter; what Olivia was trying to pull was hardly fair. Olivia was straight up playing with Hiccup's feelings and heart. "But I agree that what she just did was a low blow,"

For just a split-second, Hiccup almost considered taking her back. However, his eyes fell on her stomach; she was probably about 30 weeks along now, just 10 from giving birth to the baby he thought was his. The one she made him believe that they had made together out of their love. But the baby wasn't his; it was Dane's, made from lustful, horny sex for 7 months behind his back.

"You're right…" Hiccup sighed. "I wear this ring because we're still married. I wear it as the symbol of our love and the promises we made to one another 2 years ago in January. Remember? You gave me this ring and promised me you'd love me forever. You asked me to be your partner for life. You offered me your heart, hand, and love with all you were and had. You promised to honor me forever in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, through the good and bad times, through happy and sad…" now his eyes looked to her.

"I gave you a ring when I asked you to marry me, and I also gave you another making those same promises to you. I continue to wear mine because on the day I said my vows; I meant them and would uphold them until the day I die, as we both agreed to do. So let me ask you this…" Hiccup paused before his eyes fell cold. "Where are your rings, Olivia? I've worn mine despite all this…But where are yours?" Olivia bit her bottom lip. "I thought you said as long as you wore yours; we'd be together?" he repeated her words to her now.

"All the promises were broken on your end…So you know what?" Hiccup lifted his left hand now and twisted his ring off of his finger. "Why should I keep upholding mine when you won't do the same?" Hiccup took her hand and put the ring in it before pushing her hand away again. "You can keep yours, wherever they are, and that one. I refuse to wear an object meant to symbolize eternal love when yours and all your promises were nothing but lies. How dare you try to use those vows to guilt me into coming back to you. Those vows only mean something when both people uphold them, and you did not! Not only did you cheat on me for 7 months and pass that baby off as mine when it's not…You took off your rings, the symbol of our promises to one another. So it's very clear to me that _what we have_ is nothing. Sign the papers, Olivia, and leave me alone,"

"I-I won't sign them." Olivia cried.

"Refuse to sign them, and I will take you to court and annul the marriage that way; don't think I won't. I got more than enough proof to give a judge on why I want a divorce," Hiccup warned.

"I-I can't sign them, Hiccup…I don't even have them…I burned the ones your lawyer gave me because I don't agree with it. I know we can make things work if you just give me another chance…" Olivia pleaded.

"You burned the divorce papers?" Hiccup asked.

"Because I don't want to get divorced!" Olivia argued.

"And I refused to stay married to you! Don't make me have to take you to court, Olivia; you know you have no dragon in this fight, figuratively speaking," Hiccup stated as he moved inside more, bringing Olivia in as well; stopping her at the table where everyone was around. Hiccup went into the bedroom, then returned with a few papers in his hand.

"I-I don't want it to be over…" Olivia looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"That's too bad because I do. You hurt me, Olivia, in a way I think you ever could. Regardless of all this, part of me will always love you because this did mean something to me. But we can't be together because what you did hurts more than what the Vikings ever made me feel, more than an injury I've ever gotten,"

"Hiccup, please…" Olivia tried. "We can fix this…"

"No. No, we can't. There is no fixing this. There is no making it up to me. I told you that as soon as I was home from Afghanistan, we would start a family. We'd go get a big house, have a couple kids, and enjoy the rest of our lives together. But it looks like you couldn't wait for me to get back, so you did it with someone else, even if by accident that you got pregnant by him. You still chose to sleep with someone else, and in the bed we shared. You agreed to keep doing it for 7 months. You admitted to me that not only did you immediately go back to fucking him when I returned to Afghanistan after leave, but you would have kept doing it until I got off tour April of this year. And Odin only knows if you would have kept doing it behind my back when I was at drill or annual training. Okay? There is no way to make this better," Hiccup stated.

"You knew I was in the army when I asked you to marry me, and you knew it when you married me a month later before I went to Iraq. And if you couldn't handle me being away for long periods of time, Olivia…I really wish you would have left me at the altar, or just said no when I proposed. But anything would have been better than going through with getting married and letting me believe you were happy, content, and we had a future together," Hiccup said calmly now. "Olivia, I gave you my loyalty, and you betrayed me. I was honest with you, and you lied to me. I gave you my hand, and you let me fall down. I gave you my heart, and you broke it. Every vow we made…I did my part, and you did the complete opposite. However, there is one more thing I gave you…"

Olivia looked at him sadly. "I gave you my life, and now I want it back," Hiccup finally put the papers down and flipped to the back page where there were two lines. One had his signature, and the other was where Olivia was meant to sign for the divorce to be finalized. Hiccup looked at her now. "If you ever truly loved me at all, Olivia…If there was ever a time you really wanted to show me that it wasn't all a lie; sign that line." Hiccup's voice was soft, and sounded like it was about to crack, "Please? I'm begging you to sign it, let me go, and stop hurting me…"

Olivia saw the pain behind his green eyes, and she couldn't do it. Olivia knew she'd lost him because of her own awful choices. "All I've ever wanted was your happiness, and all I did was bring you pain. But if this is what it will take to stop what I've caused," Olivia sighed sadly as she reached into her purse and pulled out a pen; then she bent down a little and signed the line; _Olivia Haddock_. She flipped the other sheets of paper down and lifted the small stack up. "I do love you, and you'll never know how sorry I am, Hiccup," Olivia handed the papers to him.

"Thank you…" Hiccup said.

"I won't bother you anymore; I promise. I should probably get going," Olivia said softly.

"Come on; I'll walk you out," Hiccup offered as he led her to the door and opened it up for her as they stepped out. Britta moved over to the window to look.

"Britta, get over here!" Henrik told her. Britta put up a finger to tell him to wait a second.

"I'm making sure she doesn't pull a fast on him…" Britta remarked.

"You can keep the car; I'm not gonna take it. I have Toothless and Lightheart. So, this is goodbye, huh?"

"Don't stop being you, Hiccup. Maybe I wasn't the one, but you'll find her someday. Someone who can give you everything you want, need and deserve in life that I couldn't and failed to do," Olivia told him. "I, uh, I made this for you…On the chance that things came down to this," she handed him a square case with a CD inside of it. "One more hug and kiss before I go?" Olivia asked.

"Don't do it…Don't do it, Hiccup…" Britta pleaded quietly.

"What's up, sis?" Lukas asked, walking over, and then Lilly right next to him as they looked out the window just in time to see Hiccup wrap his arm around Olivia's waist and draw her close to him.

"Oh, my Gods!" Lilly covered her mouth in a gasp. Hiccup used his free hand to cup Olivia's cheek and place his lips on hers in a deep kiss.

"What? What's happening? Is Hiccup okay?" Mari asked quickly.

"He's kissing her!" Britta, Lilly, and Lukas said quickly; everyone's eyes widened. "Like…Actual kiss, not a peck," Britta clarified. Quietly, they all got up and went to see the scene; shocked to find Hiccup and his now ex-wife locked in a passionate kiss, practically making out.

"Oh…This is gonna be bad," Brynjar frowned. "He's gonna regret that as soon as she leaves…And he's gonna beat himself up over it,"

After a few short moments of being lip-locked; Hiccup broke the kiss and pulled back slowly, releasing Olivia. "See you around, Soldier Boy," she smiled softly.

"Not likely, but maybe one day we will. Take care of yourself, okay?" Hiccup reminded.

"You do the same. Goodbye, Olivia," Hiccup replied.

"Bye, Hiccup," Olivia got into the car, started it up, and left. Hiccup turned to return to the house as the spying people rushed to sit. Hiccup entered and closed the door, standing there for a second, leaning against the wall and looking down at the papers in his hand.

"Son?" Stoick asked.

"Are you alright?" Henrik finished the question.

"How do you think I am? I'm divorced from a woman I still love despite what she did and the pain she caused…And I did the stupidest thing I could ever do by kissing her as if nothing had changed. I shouldn't have, and that may come back to bite me in the ass later," Hiccup replied. "But…" he paused catching their attention. "I'm free," he said. "Free to move on and live my life without feeling bad because I was still married. I'm finally free,"


	33. Back To Bite Ya

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Back To Bite Ya

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Saturday, 3/10/2018-5 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

All I wanted today was a calm, fun day with family and friends. Hell, I even bonded a little with my half-siblings, Halvor and Valda. However, a surprise visit from Olivia when Colden and Ander arrived changed the entire feelings from good time to straight up; _this is going to be a bad time_. Sadly…I knew it would happen eventually. I didn't know when or where, but I knew what transpired today would take place at some point and time. Despite the mixed emotions about everything; the bottom line is that I am now divorced. On Monday; these papers would be filed, and the Kingdom of Denmark would no longer recognize Olivia and me as a married couple. Maybe I wasn't okay right now despite having wanted this divorce for 3 months, and now I have it.

I wasn't going to lie to my family and friends about how I felt; it did hurt because I love Olivia, I just can't forgive and be with her after what she did because it hurt. And I spoke the truth; that kiss was likely going to come back and bite me in the butt; I knew I shouldn't have done it, but I did, and I have to live with that. But now, I am finally divorced, single; free to live my life how I want and maybe move on. I didn't know what happened now; I guess I would just see where it goes.

"I feel that I know you well enough to say I think you need a drink after all that," Sigvard stated, pulling me from my thoughts about what took place over the last 10-15 minutes.

"A shot? After all that; he needs like 4," Ander chuckled.

"And then one to celebrate the divorce," Brynjar added.

"Not looking to get wasted, guys. But a double would be nice," I shrugged.

"One for the hassle, one for the divorce," Jolgeir said after getting a slightly taller glass than the one Hiccup used to take his first shot; then went to pour the whiskey.

"Not the whiskey," I stopped him as I went to grab something from under a cabinet; it was half a bottle of Southern Comfort.

"Whiskey is your favorite, though," Oivind blinked.

"Yeah, but she ain't worth the whiskey," Sigvard said before I could mention why. "He's not gonna use whiskey to drown her memory," he handed me the double shot.

"So what does he drink whiskey for?" Alvin asked.

"You know me so well," I chuckled as I drank it back. Before anyone could do anything else, Brynjar changed the music. "You fucker, you would!"

"Come on…You gotta do it after using that line," Jolgeir informed. I only smiled, shaking his head. **(Song was "Ain't Worth The Whiskey" by Cole Swindell.)**

"Well, that's an interesting song," Camicazi blinked.

"Hey, I told you; they got songs for everything," I shrugged as I picked up the divorce papers from the table and went to put them away in his bedroom, so nothing would happen to them. I returned and plopped down in my chair.

"Unka open pwesents now?" Dagny asked as she came to the arm of the chair.

"Oh, alright," I gave in. Valda and Halvor were on the other side, both bringing me a present together. I started opening everything, reading the cards and figuring out who got what for me. My parent's gift was a bunch of new art things, which everyone knew was my favorite hobby; I loved to draw. The next present was from Brynjar; he got me a digital picture frame with an SD card included. All the pictures were from when I joined the army. There were shots of me swearing in, basic, AIT, with the company, platoon, and the unit.

Eira, and Frieda both got me gift cards that way I could go buy whatever I wanted for myself. Strike Unit had given me the alcohol and personalized shot glasses earlier, so it moved on to Katja's gift. I opened the card up, and one of her sonogram pictures fell out; there were big words saying it's a boy.

"Why you giving me this, Kat? I know you're having a boy; I was at the gender reveal party," I asked.

Katja giggled a little. "Look again, Hiccup," Katja told me as I looked at the picture again, and written under it's a boy label was something else; _Rowan Hiccup Oliversen_.

"Y-You're naming your son after me?" I asked, staring in shock.

"I am," Katja nodded.

"Wait, what? You said you hadn't picked a name yet," Brynjar blinked.

"I was saving it for this. I'm naming my baby Rowan Hiccup Oliversen," Katja informed. "After my best friend. And that's not the only gift I have,"

"What's the second one?" I asked, curiously and still shocked Katja was giving her son my first name as a middle name.

"You've…Always been in my kids' lives, Hiccup. You were there for me when I got pregnant with Dagny and tried to comfort me as much as you could during training and your first tour. And you've done the same with Rowan. You've always given Dagny and I a place to stay when Dane was an asshole to me. My daughter adores you; hell, sometimes I think she sees you as more of a father than she did Dane. And I know my son will too. I want you to be their Godfather. I wanted to name you back when Dagny was born, but Dane wouldn't let me…So, I'm asking now if you'll be their Godfather?" Katja inquired gently.

"I, uh, I don't know what to say. I'm shocked and honored you'd want me to become such an important thing for them," I stated.

"Well, you're my best friend. I know my kids would be good with you if anything ever happened to me, and I know you'd never keep them from the rest of their family. Besides, I hope this will allow you to see that you're part of my family too," Katja explained.

"Oh, come on…Don't make me cry…" I said.

"Will you do it, Unka?" Dagny asked.

"I will," I nodded as I hugged her tightly, then did the same to Katja. "Thank you,"

"You're welcome," Katja replied.

"Us next!" Lukas jumped up. Lilly, Hagen, and Britta did the same. Britta, first though, brought over Valda and Halvor.

"We have a copy of this for you after, but…This is a song we all worked on while you were at drill since mom and dad were babysitting Valda and Halvor. So, we hope you like it because it's how we feel about you being our brother and in the army," Lilly informed as Britta changed the song to something on her phone.

" _The house was like a tomb; I was hiding in my room as my brother made his way on down the hall. I didn't want to say goodbye, and I was trying to deny there was a war, that he got the call. I watched him from the window walking down the drive; then I ran down the stairway, through the front door, and I cried…"_

" _You come back, you hear? And I let him see my tears. I said I'll give you my rookie of DiMaggio. I'll do anything you want; clean your room or wash your car. I'll do anything so long as you don't go…But he said; this is what brothers are for,"_

Oh, yep; I was gonna cry. I did say that to them when I left for Syria in November 2014. It was only 4 months I was gone, but I remember how much my adoptive siblings begged me not to go. They've done it for every tour, even when I had to go after my leave time was up.

" _Well, I have my heroes, but the one I love the most; taught me how to hunt and swing a bat. And I wrote him every night; said I miss our pillow fights, but lately, I just wonder where you're at. And sometimes freedom makes it hard to live when it takes things from you that you don't want to give!"_

Mari was already crying, and Henrik was trying to comfort her, and have his hand on my shoulder.

" _I said you come back, you hear? I miss you being near. Laughing, fishing down in Maple Grove. I'll do anything you want; there must be someone I can call, and just maybe they would let you come back home. But he wrote; this is what brothers are for…"_

I had tears forming in my eyes, yet they refused to fall. I loved this, and I couldn't believe they got Halvor and Valda in on it too.

" _I may never have to face the anger of those guns. Or lie cold and wounded in my blood. Or know the sacrifice or what it must have cost…For him to love me that much…"_ there was a pause as I tried not to give in and cry. It was emotional to hear something like this from all my siblings. _"Well, it had been two years, and I held back my tears as I saw him in that wheelchair on the shore,"_

I remembered that. It was when I got shot in the leg; they sent me home for 2 weeks to recover more since I couldn't do much in Iraq at the time. I was given a wheelchair to use; it sucked, but I dealt with it. And we went to the beach a few days later; if they were about to sing what I think they are, then my tears are gonna slip down.

" _And as I ran and held him tight, that's when he looked me in the eye and said; I'm sorry that you have to push me home. And I said hey; this is what brothers and sisters are for,"_ Yeah, that did it. I got up and hugged all of them tightly.

"Don't cry," Britta hugged around my neck. Lilly and Lukas only made it to my chest. Hagen on my side. Then Halvor and Valda on the waist.

"That was an amazing song, kids," Mari sobbed.

"Not a dry eye among the women over here," Eira informed while standing with Katja and Frieda. I wiped my eyes and tried to laugh a little.

"It's supposed…To be a happy day and so far, two gifts have made me cry," I mumbled.

"That's probably the 3 shots and beer you've had working!" Ander called to me.

"Screw you!" I grumbled at him.

"Love you, but you're not my type, Hiccup. Not saying you're not good looking, but I'm straight," Ander joked.

"So the fuck am I, asshole!" I retorted as everyone started laughing. "Ugh…But seriously, thank you, guys," I added, looking to my siblings now. "I loved that,"

"We thought you might," Lilly giggled, and we have a copy of us singing it for you. The original song is called; _This Is What Brothers Are For_ by Dean Brody. We just changed the end a bit since you have brothers and sisters,"

"It was amazing," I nodded as Britta handed me the CD; I was definitely putting it on my phone later.

"Alright, we're next, and I think last," Colden chuckled. "Go on, little brother," he motioned to Ander.

Ander handed me a skinny, medium-sized box. I unwrapped it and pulled the cover off, staring at what was inside. My eyes widened. "What is it, son?" Henrik inquired. I slowly lifted my eyes to Colden.

"A-Are you serious?" I asked.

"I wouldn't be presenting it to you if I wasn't, Haddock. Come now, you should know after almost 5 years that I do not joke in such matters," Colden remarked, but he was smiling nevertheless.

"B-But I don't understand what…who…when…where…how…why?" I was still in shock, trying to find my words.

"For everything you've done; I was granted the honor of giving it to you," Colden said.

"You're brave, selfless, courageous, loyal, fearless, and always exceed the expectations set, so…" Ander chuckled.

"Welcome to the officer ranks, Second Lieutenant Haddock," Colden added with a smile.

"THE _WHAT_?!" Everyone but the Vikings, Colden, and Ander yelled in utter shock. I pulled the items out of the box, and they were, in fact, the rank insignia for Second Lieutenant. I-I couldn't believe this. I got promoted into the officer ranks?

"Holy shit, Hiccup!" Sigvard exclaimed.

"That's…A major rank jump, Major Kongur," Brynjar said.

"Haddock deserves it for all the work he's done since Iraq," Ander stated. "And the thing with the Vikings, and what happened in February during the drill; HQ decided to promote him,"

"Not saying this out of jealousy or anything, but what did he do more of than us in Iraq?" Oivind inquired.

"Yeah…We did everything together," Davyn nodded.

"I'm afraid…That's classified information to certain parties," Colden said.

"We're his team…" Eirik said.

"But HQ orders top friendship, unfortunately. One day, you will know, but that day is not today. And Hiccup isn't allowed to tell you either, so let's respect the command and leave it alone?" Colden informed firmly.

"Yes, sir," the soldiers in the room replied.

"Hiccup will be taking over the Lightning Platoon, and you Brynjar, are going to Thunder," Colden stated.

"What about Matthias?" Brynjar asked.

"That is not a matter we need to discuss right now, Lieutenant Holt," Colden responded. I knew that serious and grave tone all too well. This time, I turned to face him.

"I know that tone, Major Kongur…" I said slowly.

"Hiccup, this is a party," Ander smiled.

"Don't worry; we'll tell you another-," Colden began.

"Now, please? I pushed.

Colden sighed. "He's gone, soldiers," the man lowered his head.

"What do you mean he's gone?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"Matthias is moving to Danish Guard; he confessed that after things in Afghanistan, he no longer wanted to be on Active Duty. He's suffering a moderate case of PTSD but seeking help for it and come April; the transfer will be finalized," Colden explained.

Brynjar glared some. "Jesus, Colden…You made us think he was dead!"

"Yeah, what the fuck…" I agreed.

"Sorry, I never meant to be that grim about it; it's just not something that I thought should be discussed here," Colden remarked.

"While that might be true…Don't ever start the statement with; _he's gone_. Come on…We've lost way too many people on the last tour, Colden…You could have begun with anything else like maybe he's leaving, or transferring, but I'll tell you about it later," I sighed. "Okay…Now, that Colden has single-handedly given me my second heart attack of the day…" I relaxed a bit. "It's only like 5:30 pm and this is still a party!"

"Yeah!" the soldiers cheered. And soon; it began again. And I still couldn't believe I jumped the rest of enlistee ranks and right into the officer ones. Had I really done so much to merit the promotion? I knew Colden was referring to my Special Ops missions, but I didn't think that they had such a say in this whole thing. I guess I was wrong.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[8:30 pm]**_

As things continued and got later; people decided that it was time to wrap things up. Hiccup was tidying up the center table when he stumbled upon the CD that Olivia had given him. Hiccup eyed it a few seconds.

"What's that?" Vera wondered.

"Olivia gave it to me earlier; she told me that she made it on the chance that we didn't work things out and she signed the papers for the divorce to finalize," Hiccup explained. "I don't know what it is. Well, I know it's a CD, but not sure what's on it,"

"Is that a good idea to watch?" Henrik asked when he saw Hiccup load it into the DVD player.

"Probably not, but hey, you know me; I'm curious," Hiccup pressed play and sat in his chair. It started with Olivia sitting on her bed in her parents' house.

" _Hi, Hiccup. Don't worry; this isn't going to be an attempt to get you back, or a compilation of us since we met in 2010. I'm making it on the chance that when I come to see you in person; we can try to talk and maybe fix things. I know I messed up, and I don't deserve another chance. I guess I'm hoping that our love might be enough to overcome what happened with time, rebuilding trust, and a lot of counseling. But in case it doesn't, and I won't blame you if you don't change your mind; I'll sign the papers and give you this as my thank you for the time we had, and my goodbye to leaving your life, but my hope is that you'll find your happiness and get to have everything you deserve and want, that you get what you dreamed your life would be and so much more. I do love you, Hiccup Haddock, and I always will,"_

On the screen, Olivia pressed something and sat back taking a deep breath.

" _These clouds aren't going nowhere, baby; rain keeps coming down. I just thought I'd try to call you, baby, before you got too far out of town. And I hope that you get this message that I'm leaving for you; cause I hate that you left without hearing the words that I needed you to!"_

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit.

" _And I hope you find it! What you're looking for! And I hope its everything you dreamed your life would be and so much more. And I hope you're happy, wherever you are. I wanted you to know that. And nothing's gonna change that. Oh, oh…And I hope you find it…"_

The song continued to play through as Hiccup's eyes never left the screen. As it was nearing the end, everyone was starting to realize exactly what this was. And sadly; they were worried it might actually work. "You know she did this on purpose right?" Sigvard sighed.

"What do you mean?" Stoick inquired.

"Olivia said this wasn't to hurt or try to get Hiccup back, but that's exactly what it is. The kiss from earlier, giving him this…It is the final attempt to make Hiccup change his mind, shred the papers, and take her back," Ander remarked.

"We all saw that kiss; that wasn't a goodbye…It was her trying to pull him in. And now this…" Brynjar grumbled.

"I said she was a sly little-," Britta started.

"Do not finish that sentence, young lady," Mari warned.

 _And I hope you find it; what you're looking for…And I hope its everything you dreamed your life would be and so much more. And I hope you're happy, wherever you are! I wanted you to know that. And nothing's gonna change that. No, no, no…And I hope you find it…I hope you find it…"_

The entire time after the first verse, Hiccup was playing with his ring finger, rubbing the place where his wedding band had been. Olivia's video was doing exactly what the friends were saying it would; making Hiccup think about his decision. Hiccup stopped the DVD and got up quietly. "I can't do it," he said before moving into his bedroom.

"I told you he was going to regret that kiss later," Brynjar said softly. However, Hiccup came back out and handed his father the divorce papers. Henrik looked at Hiccup, surprised and questioningly.

"I can't let myself do it no matter how badly I want to right now. Take them before I make another stupid choice. Bryn is right; I do regret that kiss. For once in the last 3 months; I felt the fire she and I shared before she cheated on me. It's been raging out of control all night, and I considered taking her back. It hurts. It hurts that I still feel this deeply for her after what happened. It hurts that I can't deny I want her in my life despite everything. But it hurts more to know she said she wouldn't hurt me anymore after she signed, and she has successfully done so with that video. And that will keep me from changing my mind. But…Take those and give them to Jonas because if are left with me regardless of what I just said; I'll end up burning them while I'm drunk and not thinking clearly, and regret it for the rest of my life," Hiccup told Henrik. "And take my phone tonight too. Don't give me anything that will enable me to do something dumb…"

Henrik got up and hugged his son tightly. "That's very mature and responsible of you, son. I'm proud of you," he stated. Hiccup got his phone out, turned it off, and gave it to Henrik. "I'll bring this back to you tomorrow when you're sober,"

"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup nodded.

"Now, it's been a long day. Why don't you go off and get to bed early?" Mari smiled, standing beside Henrik now.

"Kay," Hiccup replied.

"Night, Hiccup!" Katja, Eira, and Frieda called to him.

"We're here if you need us," Sigvard reminded as he stood with the other 4 members of Strike Unit, Colden, Brynjar, and Ander.

"Sleep well, laddie," Gobber smiled now.

"I'm gonna try. Thanks for everything tonight; you have no idea how much it meant to me," Hiccup yawned, waved, and returned to his room, closing the door. Everyone looked at one another knowing that this was what Hiccup meant earlier when he said him kissing Olivia would come back to bite him in the ass; because now he was just drunk enough to want her back, but fighting it with everything he had to keep himself from being hurt.


	34. Chosen

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Chosen

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Wednesday, 3/28/2018-2 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's Home]_

It had been about 2 weeks since the night of Hiccup's party where so many unexpected things took place. Olivia showed up and finally signed the papers, but not before an argument, and then after the fact, still made one more attempt for Hiccup to change his mind. And Hiccup almost did it because he had kissed Olivia before she left the house, and Hiccup admitted that his feelings for her were still as strong as ever. And in fear of doing something while he was drunk that he might regret; Hiccup relinquished his cell phone and the signed papers to Henrik for the night. The next morning, as the Vikings learned at least, Mari took the papers to her brother, Jonas while Henrik returned Hiccup's cell phone. Hiccup thanked him, and Henrik promised that he knew it was hard, but things would be okay, and the feelings of wanting Olivia back would fade with time; the more distance apart would douse the flame. And one day, Hiccup would feel the flame again for someone else, and he'd move on, be happier, and who knew, maybe it would be the person he was meant to spend his life with.

Hiccup had to hold faith that Henrik was right. And at the same time, maybe it was already happening. The distance from Olivia and knowing the divorce was final now because he received word from Jonas that it was accepted and the marriage was over, seemed to be helping a lot. Olivia did not call or message Hiccup anymore, and Hiccup got rid of anything else that reminded him of her and what they had. Of course; he'd never truly forget because there were good times over the years since they'd met. Another reason Hiccup felt like things were getting better was because he liked the feeling he got talking with Vera Grimborn; the daughter of Hertha and Ryker Grimborn, niece to Chief Viggo Grimborn, and cousin to Brynjar Holt and Katja Oliversen, two very good friends of Hiccup's.

It was strange at first, but now, it was almost comforting. Hiccup loved how he felt around Vera since the whole thing happened at drill in February where she got Hiccup to see that no matter what he did; he was still a Viking inside, it was his culture, and that is the foundation on which the rest of his life was built. Hiccup knew he could never outrun it even if he wasn't like the others. Vera made Hiccup see that he was a Viking; he was just his own kind. And when Vera almost got hurt in the attack; Hiccup found a new reason to fight. Yes, he was protecting them regardless, but it became more about making sure Vera was safe, and that's why Hiccup fought harder. Hiccup knew he felt something; he didn't know what, and it was still very small and resting beneath the surface of Hiccup's feelings for Olivia that still burned.

However, that fire was going out slowly, dying and suffocating under whatever was rising that he felt for Vera. Honestly, Hiccup wanted to talk to someone about it, but he felt wrong to possibly begin developing feelings for someone else when it'd only been 4 months since he left Olivia, and just 2 weeks since the divorce was made legal and now he was single.

"HICCUP!" he heard someone yell at him. Hiccup snapped out of his thoughts about what he was feeling.

"Hm? What?" Hiccup looked over to find that it had been Astrid, Heather, and Camicazi.

"You totally just zone off for 10 minutes," Brenna informed.

"Oh. My bad," Hiccup shrugged.

"Something on your mind?" Gobber tried.

"Nope," Hiccup denied.

"You sure?" Signy giggled. "You had a faraway look in your eyes. You were anywhere but here,"

"Even in there was; it's none of your business," Hiccup retorted.

"Why are you so snippy?" Ruffnut huffed. Hiccup rolled his eyes and grabbed his laptop off the table.

"What'cha doing?" Fishlegs wondered.

"Finding a movie to watch," Hiccup connected one of the wires to the computer and the picture came up on the TV; it was Hiccup's lock screen photo, something from one of his tours after a long mission when he was in all his gear with his team.

"The looks like it wasn't a fun day," Eret said.

"Were you playing with fire or something?" Thuggory inquired.

"You have no idea how big an explosion is from an RPG," Hiccup stated as he typed something in on the search bar and then clicked one of the options as a video started. All it showed was a massive blast of fire and smoke. "RPG stands for Rocket Propelled Grenade. Launched with a big gun and cause that; you try carrying all the gear and running to avoid getting caught in one. Or the IED, Improvised Explosive Device and Land Mines; those fuckers are buried underground and set off by stepping on it, but you don't see it until it's too late,"

"This is what you do in the war?" Stoick asked.

"Sometimes," Hiccup shrugged. "No, that day you saw a picture of was a long ass night of pushing enemies back. Grenades, gunfire…Oh, it was awful. That was us after the sun came up and Colden telling us a good job on surviving the first big fight in the war. That was in Syria when we were technically training for deployments but in an active war-zone. I was a just about to turn 19," he chuckled. "That's when I got elected team leader for Strike because I got us out of the mess craziness when we were pinned down,"

"Pinned down?" Vera questioned.

"It's something we say in the military when you're surrounded by more enemies than there are of you and your team. Also, there isn't much you can do but hide and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Me on the other hand, I don't believe in sitting around and hoping help came before we got found. So I used a Night Fury call, and Toothless was able to make us a clearing to get out. If I hadn't; we might have all been killed because enemies were getting too close to where we were," Hiccup said.

"So you saved their lives and your own," Vera smiled.

"Well, I thought of the idea, but Toothless did the saving," Hiccup chuckled. "Typically, if Toothless is allowed to come on the missions; enemies don't stand a chance,"

"I thought dragons couldn't attack humans here?" Snotlout asked to confirm.

"He just pushes them back, but he doesn't directly attack them. Toothless's firepower is concentrated Acetylene and Oxygen into a small purple charge that I call a Plasma Blast. Now, Toothless fires on different levels; he can shoot something that lights the fireplace over there, or big enough to…What's a good example? Oh, destroy an entire catapult tower on your islands. When Toothless attacks in battle, he just blasts a location where people are, but just something that will separate the group and make them run for cover," Hiccup explained.

"What's a calmer time when you're deployed?" Alvin wondered.

"Sitting in the barracks, games, movies, anything to keep us entertained until we were needed," Hiccup informed.

"Ah," a few stated.

"So why a movie? There's nothing for us to learn today?" Vera smiled.

"Can't spend all your time learning; it'll overload you, and you'll start forgetting things you've already learned. You have to pace yourselves," Hiccup said.

"But don't we have to know all this and get back to our islands to fight the new enemies?" Stoick asked.

"The military is monitoring the situation if things begin to get questionable and the battle is upon us; the soldiers will step in to fight. I will likely get deployed back to the Archipelago to assist in that," Hiccup enlightened.

"But…Those are our islands; we should be fighting for them. That is our duty as Chieftains…And Heir's…" Dagur interjected.

Hiccup sighed, putting a hand to his head. "You still do not understand the complexity of the situation or how this works. Vikings are in charge of their Tribes, not the protection of the islands; that is the duty of the Danish Military as the Barbaric Archipelago, and Greenland is in our jurisdiction, which means they are our responsibility,"

"But…I thought all this was to prepare us for the battle to save our kind," Heather asked, clearly confused and a little disheartened like the rest.

"You have the power of your individual Tribe; that means you may control and lead them as you wish, but not the islands on which you reside. The queen has thus far allowed you to continue to govern your people as you desire, but she makes the final decision on how to handle threats to her kingdom. I told you, things are not done the way in which you've all lived for years and years. The Archipelago territory is under the rule of the queen of Denmark as is the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland. There is a validated threat against Vikings, one that could potentially wipe every last one of you out," Hiccup continued.

"And that is why the soldiers were sent to the islands; to protect you and teach you how things are now that could make your lives easier, better, and keep you alive now and for years to come. You were invited to Denmark to see how things are beyond the borders of your primitive lifestyle, to show you how things could be for you, that will help you to continue living safely. The whole purpose of these lessons is to teach you how to live in a modern world; it was never to prepare you for battle," Hiccup responded calmly, but there was a sternness to his voice.

"All this is just, so we know how to live in a modern world back home?" Viggo inquired.

"Hey, now you're getting it. I guess I did end up teaching you something new today," Hiccup sassed as he closed the computer, unplugging it, setting it down, then getting up.

"And we can't help, at all?" Alvin arched a brow.

"No, I told you; you're civilians. Let the soldiers do their job; you just protect your people by keeping them away from the heavy fighting, and we'll do the rest," Hiccup said.

"But these people know nothing of our islands, Hiccup," Stoick remarked now. "They don't know the layouts, how things work, the names," he argued.

"I believe you'll find that they do. Who better than to help them in defending the islands than someone who used to live in the Archipelago? That would be me. That's why my company was asked to go. Because I was someone who resided there and had the most current information about everything. Their Heirs, the Chieftains, the island names, and Tribes…Everything they needed came from me," Hiccup shrugged.

"You sold us out," Snotlout muttered. "Nobody knew about us until you ran away! Our lives were fine!"

"They knew there were others in the Archipelago long before I ran away from Berk. All I did was confirm your Viking-like lifestyle for them," Hiccup narrowed his eyes a bit. "I told you, the queen doesn't care how you live your lives until threats are made against her territory; all of you fall in the range of said markers in which she rules. These lessons are to teach you about how modern life works, how we live that way you don't question everything while we're working to protect you!"

"The queen sent us to keep you safe from the enemies you confessed to not being able to fight! Now shut up, stop fighting with me, and deal with it. Gods, all I'm doing is following orders, okay? Something you, Dad, wished I would have done as a kid. Now I am, and you hate it," Hiccup threw his hands up in frustration. "Yes, I told them how to find the islands which saved you from an ambush and being wiped out that night almost 5 months ago. So if by you saying I sold you out, you mean I saved your lives by talking; then yes…I did sell you out. You're fucking welcome," he huffed before going to the back door and opening it. "I'm going flying. Stay put, there," Toothless was instantly at Hiccup's side, sensing his rider's distress. Hiccup climbed on his back, and the two were gone.

Lightheart, on the other hand, remained behind and shot the Vikings an unamused growl. "I don't think she likes us," Camicazi said.

"She doesn't like anyone except Toothless because they're mates and Hiccup because he's bonded to Toothless," Vera reminded. "Maybe we shouldn't be ticking him off? All he's done is teach us about this world and be exceptional with his hospitality…"

"Says the girl with a major crush on the ex-Viking runt turned Soldier hunk in 8 years," Heather teased.

Vera gasped. "I do not!" she glared.

"You so do! It's all over your face, admit it! You like Hiccup!" Brenna giggled.

"Come on, the males may not see it, but we do," Ruffnut chuckled. "We've seen the way you two meet eyes and lock on,"

"That doesn't mean anything…It's respectful to look someone in the eyes when you're talking to them!" Vera snapped.

"Oh, she's getting defensive and flustered," Signy said. "Vera, it's okay if you like him,"

"Admit it…" Camicazi told her. "He's all the things you said he was when we were at drill with him. And he's ridiculously good-looking; his hair, eyes…Perfectly sculpted, lean body…" Cami teased more. Vera didn't say anything at first, but then she gave in.

"Okay, fine! I do. Happy now?" Vera fumed, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's just amazing…There, I said it; I like him," At that moment, Brynjar walked in.

"We know, we see you eye up his body every time he walks around in shorts and shirtless," Astrid laughed a bit. "I'll admit it; he's hot. Skinny, yes, but hot,"

"I don't _eye him up_. I mean; it's his house; he could walk around in his underwear if he wanted to," Vera mumbled, blushing.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Ruffnut grinned.

"No! I-," Vera tried. "Ugh, shut up. And it doesn't matter anyway because it would never work between us,"

"What the fuck did I just walk in on?" Brynjar asked.

"Vera's got a huge crush on Hiccup," Heather said.

"Really, now?" Brynjar asked. "Why don't you tell him?"

"Because he's…Still getting over Olivia, a-and there's the living situations. How would things ever work? Hiccup won't live in the Archipelago again, and I couldn't possibly leave my family on Dragon Hunter…Besides, I doubt he likes me back," Vera looked down.

"Ver…You're panicking about things that might not even matter. So chill," Brynjar chuckled. "People find things to make it work when both sides want the same thing. Trust me; I've seen Hiccup figure out impossible situations; like that whole thing with the arrow and boombox on a pole during the drill. Come on, 143 people couldn't figure that out, but Hiccup did…And if I'm not mistaken…It's because you reminded him who he was," Brynjar smiled.

"All I did was remind him that he was a Viking and not to forget where he came from," Vera sighed.

"I haven't seen that bright of a smile on his face since the day he told us he was going to be a father, which crashed and burned…But I think you brought back a part of him that he let go and forgot about. I saw the way he was looking into your eyes, Vera; he used to look at Olivia that way until she broke his heart," Brynjar informed.

"Are you saying Hiccup is starting to fall for Vera?" Viggo questioned.

"Well, I don't know if it runs that deep, but I know Hiccup pretty well…And I know when he's actually happy to be around someone. And I see it when he's with Vera. Even Kat noticed it," Brynjar shrugged. "Who knows what could happen between them, but you never know until you try," he added. "Also...Vera; you might be my cousin, but Hiccup's my little brother, so I'm gonna say this as nicely as possible in the least offensive way. Do not hurt him," he said firmly. "You saw what Olivia did to him...Hiccup's been through a lot between that cheating bitch and losing friends in the wars; it's...Why he drinks until he passes out sometimes. The pain takes over and he hides and drowns it in alcohol, or he'll want to be by himself so he can cry until he doesn't feel anything about whatever upset him. I'm sick of seeing him get hurt, and he deserves to be happy; don't take his heart if you won't protect it. That goes for all of you from now on; Hiccup's finally starting to heal and be happy again. If anyone hurts him again; they have to deal with me. Got it?"

"Understood," they replied.

"Good. And don't say anything to him about me knowing why he drinks. Yeah, sometimes it's just because we're having a good time. But if you ever catch him drinking by himself; it's because he's upset. He's only 22, he shouldn't be drinking that heavy, but...The guys and I don't intervene because it's not an every night, all the time thing; if that factor changes, where the drinking is getting out of hand; we're gonna make him stop and get help. But don't say anything to him. People who get told that kind of stuff will one, get really ticked off, and two, start drinking more in the denial that they have a problem. Hiccup doesn't have one, but the guys and I are watching to make sure he doesn't develop one. Understand?" they nodded. "Now...Where is he?"

"They kind'a made him mad, and he went flying…" Vera stated.

"Ah…I guess I'll-," Brynjar was cut off by seeing Toothless get rammed against by another dragon. Toothless crashed, and Hiccup was thrown off of him hard and inside the house, rolling to a stop. "Hiccup!" Brynjar went to check on him. Hiccup coughed a few times and forced himself to get up on his arms and look around.

"To-Toothless! Are you okay?" Hiccup asked quickly. Toothless warbled lowly, getting up slowly as well.

"What happened?" Brynjar got Hiccup to his feet. "You okay? Anything broken, bleeding, or cracked?"

"I think I'm good, just had the wind knocked outta me," Hiccup replied with a nod. Suddenly, Vera screamed and was standing in absolute fear of a large dragon before her.

"Vera!" Viggo said with worry. The dragon growled at him.

"Stay there, Dad; that was a warning growl," Brynjar mentioned.

"Help…" Vera squeaked out.

"Well, you're the dragon expert," Brynjar told Hiccup.

"Vera, I need you to stay perfectly still," Hiccup informed.

"N-No problem…" Vera said with a shaky tone. The dragon began to move it's long neck around, getting close and sniffing Vera; she tensed.

"It's not going to hurt you…Stay still, and try to relax, okay? I promise you are okay and I'm right here if anything changes…" Hiccup assured. Vera nodded, trying to calm down. "Calm down; this dragon is a Hobblegrunt; it's a Stoker Class mood dragon that senses emotions. This means that it changes colors based to show how it feels. Right now, it's purple; it's curious. If you are calm; it will be too,"

Vera took a breath, keeping her eyes closed and thought of something that made her feel happy and safe. Soon, her shaking stopped. The Hobblegrunt got closer, making a few sounds and nudging against her. "W-What's it doing now?"

"I think it wants your attention," Hiccup said. "Try opening your eyes and look at the dragon," Vera opened her eyes slowly and set eyes on the creature before her; the dragon was beautiful. The Hobblegrunt sniffed her more and tried to nuzzle as the colors changed to purple and yellow.

"W-What's yellow mean?" Vera asked.

"Happy," Hiccup replied. "Go ahead and touch it; just rub the top of its head or under the chin…" Vera nervously lifted her hand and started petting the dragon on its forehead. The Hobblegrunt leaned into it more, turning fully yellow now. "I believe it's a female; she likes you a lot. I think I see what's going on now…Vera?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah?" Vera responded, much calmer and with a slight smile as she admired the dragon entirely.

"I want you to take a step back until you're directly across and facing her," Hiccup instructed. Vera did so as the dragon looked at her now. "Do you trust that this dragon will not hurt you?"

"Yes," Vera nodded.

"Alright. I want you to stay just like that and tell the dragon everything is okay, and you want to be her friend. I want you to say that you trust her, and ask if she will trust you," Hiccup stated. "Look right at her when you do,"

"Hi, there…I'm Vera. Everything is okay; I trust you. I just want to be your friend…Will you trust me?" Vera told the female Hobbegrunt. Vera went to look away.

"No, look at her…Don't break eye contact," Hiccup advised. Vera instantly fixed herself as the Hobbgrunt moved closer until their faces were inches apart.

"Whats-," Astrid began, but Hiccup put his hand up for them to be quiet. Vera and the dragon looked at one another, and then the 2 of them moved closer; their eyes closing and foreheads pressed together while Vera's hands came up instinctively to hold the underside of the Hobblegrunt's face. The dragon remained entirely yellow, letting out a purring vibration almost. After a solid minute of this, Vera and the Hobblegrunt pulled away as Vera held the dragon gently.

"What was the feeling?" Vera asked now. "It's so…Assuring, safe…Comforting,"

Hiccup smiled now as he leaned against Toothless. "That's called bonding with your dragon. This Hobblegrunt chose you to bond with, Vera. Nice feeling, huh?" Vera nodded. "That's how I feel with Toothless. And now, you have that with her. I believe you should give her a name,"

"You said she's a mood dragon, right?" Vera inquired as Hiccup nodded. "Moodscale,"

"Well, Vera…Moodscale is yours. There is no breaking a bond between dragon and rider. Welcome to the world of having a bonded dragon for life," Hiccup said softly. Vera couldn't believe that Moodscale chose her to bond with; it was an amazing feeling, and now she had a friend for life just like Hiccup had with Toothless. Today was simply incredible, and Vera couldn't be happier about what just happened.


	35. Mixed Emotions

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Mixed Emotions

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Wednesday, 3/28/2018-2:45 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Everyone was shocked to see with their own eyes Vera bonding with a dragon. The Vikings got to see the process of this dragon, at first, knocking Toothless out of the sky and barging in. However, Vera had stood in her worry for Hiccup and caught the Hobblegrunt's attention. Hiccup must have seen what was happening and tested his theory that this dragon was choosing Vera to be the human she bonded to. Everyone was still in the living room as Moodscale was staying faithfully close to Vera now.

"I'll have to get you a Dragon Ownership ID card," Hiccup stated.

"A what?" Vera blinked.

"It's a little card, cuz. You get it when you bond to a dragon; it means you own that dragon," Brynjar explained. "Looks like this, well, sort of," he added while getting out his wallet and showing her a small card.

 **Dragon Ownership License**

 _ **Owner:**_ _  
Name;_ Brynjar Holt  
 _D.O.B;_ 4/30/1994  
 _Sex;_ Male  
 _Hair;_ D. Brown  
 _Eyes;_

 _ **Dragon:  
**_ _Name;_ Snowstrike  
 _Species;_ Woolly Howl  
 _Class;_ Strike  
 _Gender;_ Male  
 _Eyes;_ Purple  
 _Body;_ D. Brown  
 _Size;_ Medium  
 _Fire Type;_ Hail  
 _Bonded;_ 07/2012

 _ **Allowances:  
**_ _Wrangling/Training/Flying_  
 _ **Restrictions/Limitations:  
**_ _None_

 **Issued By:** _ **  
**_ _Hiccup H. Haddock III_  
 _Denmark's Dragon Training Academy  
Lead Dragon Trainer-Strike Class Specialist  
_

"That's saying license?" Thuggory pointed out.

"Well, that's because I'm licensed to wrangle, train, and fly all dragons," Brynjar said proudly. "But I learned from the master himself," he chuckled with an arm around Hiccup's shoulders. "Hiccup is the only person in Denmark, Greenland, and the Archipelago who can issue a Dragon Ownership ID or License. And you don't get the license unless you graduate from the academy,"

"So I have to attend the academy to own Moodscale?" Vera asked.

"No, no. You misunderstand, Vera. The license is given when someone graduates the academy; this will allow them to do one or more of several things involving dragons. Like…Flying, training, wrangling, care, etc. Brynjar should have been more specific. The ID is given to someone who bonds with their dragon; it just says that she is yours. If you want to learn to do all the other things; you have to attend the courses," Hiccup explained.

"Oh! So I still have to go through you for the ID, huh?" Vera giggled a little.

"That you do," Hiccup nodded.

"Well, what must I do then?" Vera inquired.

Hiccup laughed a bit. "Nothing. I saw the bonding with my own eyes; so there is no need to prove if it is a real bond or not. Trust me; there are people who try. I'll make you your ID by the end of today," he smiled. Vera blushed a little, nodding to him. "If you'd like to learn everything else; I think I can make time to teach you personally,"

"Hey! That's not fa-," Brynjar began, but Toothless whacked him with his tail, growling a bit. "Okay, okay; I get it…Geeze," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Really? Y-You would?" Vera exclaimed, overly excited now.

"Of course," Hiccup replied. "So, is that a yes?"

"Yes, it's a yes! Oh, thank you! Thank you, Hiccup!" Vera hugged him quickly and tightly, taking Hiccup by surprise as she was jumping up and down happily.

"I, uh…Um, you're…welcome, Vera…" Hiccup said as he was unsure how to react, so he just hugged her back. "Yeah, I'll figure out some time for us every day to go over things. There are 4 aspects to passing. Classification Knowledge, Bonding, Training, and Flying. As bonding is done; we'll start with classifications," he informed.

"Okay!" Vera responded with a broad smile. "Is Moodscale going to stay here?"

"Well, I don't know about in the house…It's already a bit packed with Toothless, Lightheart, and all of you. Nevermind when there is a party," Hiccup chuckled some. "I do have stables outside in the backyard," he added. "Come on; I'll take you to get her settled in," he led Vera out back and whistled for Moodscale to follow, giving a hand signal as the command. Moodscale instantly rose up and followed them out.

 **. . .**

 _ **[3 pm]**_

Vera and Hiccup returned and closed the garage door. "Don't worry; she'll be good out there. Plenty of food and water," Hiccup assured. "Look at you all worried about a dragon when you're part of a Tribe that hunts dragons," he joked. Vera glared, socking him in the arm. "Ow! Fuck! Odin above woman," he rubbed his arm. "I mean that as a good thing!" Hiccup checked his arm. "That's so gonna bruise. I'm both frightened and aroused that you can hit like that,"

"Hiccup!" Brynjar scolded him. "Dude, she's my cousin!"

"What? Not gonna lie; the fact she can hit like that is wicked impressive and hot," Hiccup informed. "And don't start with me that she's your cousin; you had no problem agreeing to let me fuck your little sister 2 weeks ago during my birthday party,"

"That's entirely-," Brynjar put a finger up, then lowered it with a sigh. "True…"

Vera blushed a little. "Really? You think I punch hard?" she inquired. "Dad always told me I didn't hit hard at all,"

"Okay, think about your dad; a man at least twice my height and weight…And then look at me. Come on; I'm a twig. Always have been, likely always will be," Hiccup reminded. "You pack a pretty powerful punch for a female in my opinion," this caused Vera to blush a more. "And you're what…A couple of years younger than me? I'm 22; your birthday is December 28th, 1999? So…You just turned 18, didn't you?"

"Mmhm," Vera nodded. "19 next December," she confirmed.

"So we're 3 years and 10 months apart," Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, you hit good for 18,"

"How hard do you hit?" Vera wondered. "Come on,"

"Sorry, Milady; it's against the law for a man to hit a woman around here. The only time it's remotely acceptable is if the two are training or sparring," Hiccup revealed. "Anyway…What are you doing here, Bryn?"

"Oh! Right, forgot about that," Brynjar snapped his fingers. "You're needed at the base tomorrow for a meeting, 0700 hours,"

"Why didn't Kongur call me himself?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"Said you didn't answer to sent me to tell you ASAP. And…It, uh, didn't come from Kongur," Brynjar stared.

"Then…Who?" Hiccup inquired.

"Olsen," Brynjar looked at him seriously. "He said you'd understand why he called you in,"

"I do," Hiccup nodded.

"Hiccup…What's going on? You're hiding something from me, your family, the guys…" Brynjar asked.

"Orders are orders, Bryn. And these came from HQ…Please, don't worry about it; you'll know soon, just…Not right now. Okay?" Hiccup informed.

Brynjar sighed. "Just…Answer me this one thing if you can?" he questioned while Hiccup looked at him now. "You're…Not going to die, right?"

Taken aback by the question, Hiccup stared. "What?"

"Whatever this is all about that you can't tell us; we're not going to find out by someone after you're dead, right? You're…Not going to die, right?" Brynjar pushed.

"I…Don't have an answer for you," Hiccup replied finally.

"So you can't even tell me that?" Brynjar looked down.

"No, Brynjar; it's not that I can't tell you…I just don't have that answer to give. If it does; all I ask is that you be the one to tell my family…And take care of them. Also, that you and the Strike Unit guys lay me to rest," Hiccup said.

Brynjar stared at Hiccup intently before finally reach forward and pulling him in for a hug. Hiccup, shocked by the action, just stood there as Brynjar hugged him. Brynjar pulled back, his hands still on Hiccup's shoulders. "What you're asking of me is something I cannot do, Hiccup, so you better come back from wherever you're going to be going, and whatever it is you're doing, alive…Do you understand me?"

"Bryn…I wouldn't want anyone else doing it," Hiccup revealed.

"Hiccup, no. Listen to me, alright. I can't do it because I'd be just as heartbroken as all of them if you died. I know we're soldiers, and we take these kinds of risks…But it still doesn't prepare you when it happens to someone you consider family," Hiccup's eyes widened a little. "Hiccup, I've been a notification officer before. I've carried caskets with my dead friends in them. I've carried caskets that didn't even have bodies because we couldn't find them to bring home. I've let mothers, wives, and children break down on me in their grief during a funeral or last flight. I've stood in line with 6 others to shoot off the guns in honor of the fallen soldier…"

"But Hiccup," Brynjar continued. "It's is single-handedly the worst feeling in the world. And those were just friends…People I've known since my basic days, and that was almost 7 years ago. But losing family? Hiccup, I've seen it first hand how devastated these people become…And if it were you?…I would not be able to stay strong as I have for other friends. Because you are not just another soldier or friend to me; you are like a little brother to me, Hiccup; and I would fall apart with the rest of them. You would be a death I couldn't just get over with time. You would be a death I never forget, one that would haunt me while I'm awake and sleeping,"

"Bryn…" Hiccup whispered.

"I don't want to have to be the one to tell your parents, siblings, and friends that you're dead. I don't want to watch your brothers and sisters break down at the loss of their older brother. I don't want to see your mother hit the floor and scream to the Gods that her oldest son is gone. I don't want to be the one to receive your body in a flag-draped box off a plane or tell everyone that they couldn't find your body to bring home. I don't want to carry that casket with Strike One, or give the gun salute, fold the flag…Hiccup, I can do it for almost anyone else, stay strong and do my duty as asked…But not you; I could not do it for you. So for the love of everything…Please, fight your ass off and come back alive…"

"I can only promise to try," Hiccup confessed, though, it really hurt him to say it.

"Well, then you better fucking try like hell," Brynjar demanded while lifting his hand up. Hiccup connected his to Brynjar's as they pulled together for a one-armed hug. "Alright, enough sappy shit. I know you'll come back…Like Toothless or Lightheart would ever let anything happen to you. And if you do die…When I end up dying; I'm gonna whoop your frigging ass, you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Lieutenant Holt," Hiccup replied. The two separated as Brynjar turned and left the house. Hiccup shook his head a little. "Such a teddy bear underneath the surface of the hard-ass demeanor he shows everyone else,"

"I HEARD THAT YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Brynjar yelled, returning to the door.

"N-Now, Bryn…I was only kidding…Mostly…" Hiccup said. Brynjar grabbed the remote and hurled it at Hiccup, which he quickly dodged as Brynjar found a shoe next. "Hey! If you throw that at me; I'm calling my mom," he warned.

"Really, that's what you tried to use?" Brynjar arched a brow at him lowering the shoe a bit.

"Hey, we both know if I call my mom and say you're picking on me; she'll whoop your ass which whatever the nearest blunt object she can find is," Hiccup said defensively.

"The sad part is…I know that's true. Dear Gods…You do not want to be on Mari Anderson's bad side, especially when it comes to her kids," Brynjar sighed. "Fine, fine…Hid behind your mother; I ain't messing with Mama Bear Mode…" he mumbled. "She will make your death look like an accident…But she can't protect you during training next month!"

"No…No, she can't," Hiccup said as Brynjar grinned. "But…Have you forgotten that I'm a Second Lieutenant and in charge of the Lightning Platoon next month?" Brynjar's face dropped. "While you got moved to Thunder because Matthias left?"

"Fuck, I did forget about that…" Brynjar grumbled. "You got lucky, Haddock," he said.

"Yes, yes I did. See you on the 5th, my friend," Hiccup chuckled.

"See you then, brother," Brynjar nodded as he left again. Hiccup picked up the remote and put it back in its place.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Hiccup inquired.

"Whatever you're doing regarding that meeting…It's going to risk your life, isn't it? That's why Brynjar was saying all that stuff?" Astrid asked.

"I don't know, but I find it's better not to assume anything without facts. I'm not going to sit here and tell you I'll be fine when I don't actually know. I can't guarantee that I'll live or die; it's just one of things you have to wait and see what happens, then plan according to the situation and hope for the best," Hiccup flipped the TV on, sitting in his chair and relaxing. Vera sat closest to him with a smile.

"So, what are we watching?" Vera wondered.

"Just channel surfing to see if anything is on. If not; I'll just pick off the shelf," Hiccup shrugged.

"Can I pick?" Vera wondered.

"Um. Sure if you really want to?" Hiccup blinked, surprised at the request. Vera hurried over to the shelf, scanned the titles before pulling one out and handing it to him. Hiccup read the cover. "Wonder Woman, huh? I feel inclined to ask why this?"

"Because I saw the cover when you were organizing things and thought it looked like a good movie," Vera shrugged.

"It is; it came out last year, and I took Dagny to see it. It's about Gods, stopping wars, fighting for what you believe," Hiccup said. "The main character is a female hero," he added.

"Oh, sounds great!" Brenna chuckled. "A movie that displays women can be just as much heroic as men," Hiccup rolled his eyes as he got up to put the movie in as the girls all seemed interested now. Hiccup sat back down and reclined his chair back as the movie started.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:05 pm]**_

The movie was just about over, and Hiccup had been explaining most of the scenes thus far to anyone with questions. Seemingly; it seems only to be Alvin, Gobber, Viggo, and Stoick who didn't understand things. Vera was well invested in watching; she appeared to be liking it a lot.

"So, is this the end when she's discovered that the guy she thought was an ally all long is really the Ares guy she's supposed to stop to end the war?" Gobber inquired.

"Something like that, yes," Hiccup nodded.

"And what Gods and Goddesses are these? They aren't saying names we know," Soren wondered.

"I told you, around the world; everyone believes the religion they were taught. As Vikings; we worship Odin, Thor, Loki, Balder, Frigg, Tyr, Freya, Sif, Bragi, Forseti, Heimdall, and Ve; those are all Norse Gods and Goddesses. And our religion is believed to be Neo-Paganism. But this movie, for example, shows the Greek Gods and Goddesses that other people from a different culture believe in. It all depends on where you come from," Hiccup explained.

"Oh," they nodded.

A few more moments in the movie passed. "My Gods! Why did the plane blow up with Steve in it!" Heather said quickly.

"Because that was his sacrifice to save everyone. The plan was filled with canisters that contained a gas that can kill instantly. If it had gone off on the ground, all the people would have been wiped out. So Steve took the plan up into the air and shot his gun to ignite the gas while he was in the sky. It was his sacrifice to save the people," Hiccup stated.

"Oh, poor Diana…She loved him," Brenna frowned.

"And now she's in rage mode that he's gone," Snotlout said. Things continued as it reached the final moments where Diana and Ares faced off.

"Wait, why do we see this scene again, with Steve. I thought he was dead?" Tuffnut asked.

"This is Diana's flashback of their brief conversation before Steve took the plane up. Remember, before…We couldn't really hear them talk, but this is her remembering it," Hiccup informed. "It has to be me. I can save today; you can save the world. I wish we had more time. I love you," he repeated the lines as they were said.

"That's so romantic," Vera smiled. "Even though it's him saying goodbye,"

"Why is she smiling now?" Astrid inquired.

"Because she understands what love is. That not everyone is good, nor are they all bad. Everyone has both within them, and each person must make that choice which side they are on by themselves. Just watch," Hiccup smiled.

"Do you know the movie well enough to repeat each line?" Vera giggled.

"Of course. This part is her preparing to fight Ares," Hiccup informed. "You're wrong about them. They're everything you say, but so much more," he stated. "It's not about deserve; it's about what you believe. And I believe in love," he repeated.

"Wait, she can do the lightning thing too?!" Thuggory, Dagur, and Eret said quickly.

"Have you not been paying attention? She's a goddess, daughter of Zeus; the God of Thunder, much like Thor is to us. It's natural that she can do the same things as Ares, who is shown in this movie to be Zeus's son. So this line Diana says; _Goodbye, Brother_ , is because she's realized that she is more than she ever believed through stories from her mother, Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. In the beginning, Hippolyta tells Diana how she came to be. The sword was never the Godkiller, Diana was left as the weapon to defeat Ares when he returned. Only a God can kill another God. Ares told Diana that, and it took her all this time to realize that the mission of destroying Ares, God of War, was solely hers to complete," Hiccup enlightened calmly.

The movie ended minutes later after a brief, sad moment of Diana seeing a picture of Steve; then everything cutting back to the beginning of where the movie started. Once that was over, the movie ended. "Wow, that was so good!" Vera expressed. "Thank you for letting me watch it,"

"Any time," Hiccup got up to put the movie away; then he checked his watch. "I guess I'll start dinner," he added before moving into the kitchen. Vera decided to sit at the breakfast bar of where he was working at.

"What are we having tonight?" Vera asked.

"I was thinking of doing chicken and rice; simple, easy, and makes enough for everyone," Hiccup shrugged.

"Sounds good," Vera smiled.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoy my cooking," Hiccup chuckled. "Would you…Like to help me?"

"Can I?" Vera inquired quickly with excitement.

"Sure, come on," Hiccup motioned his head for Vera to come into the kitchen with him. The Vikings sat in the kitchen, watching TV, but looking over and seeing Hiccup and Vera cooking together, giggling every so often. They knew Vera like Hiccup; she admitted to it. But the question was if Hiccup had a thing for Vera? And watching all this; it seemed like there was definitely something between them. Vera wanted to tell Hiccup how she felt but knew he was going through a lot right now and didn't want to make things worse. Also, she was worried about how things would be for them, so it made her hesitant to make a move. For Hiccup; he didn't know what was happening to him. Whenever he was with Vera, the pain about being divorced and what Olivia did wasn't around to haunt him; Vera made him smile, laugh, and have a good feeling. But still, he was scared of what was happening to him, and he needed to figure things out. Perhaps it was time to talk to someone about these mixed emotions and get help.


	36. Decide When

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Decide When

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 3/30/2018-8:30 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

The meeting on Thursday was everything I hoped it wouldn't be, but it had to do with me being Special Ops and why I'd been attacked during the February drill. Thankfully, I wasn't getting sent out to do anything, but the information I received about the situation involving the Archipelago. It seemed that they discovered who was behind the orders of the attack on me, a man by the name of Drago Bludvist. Not much was known of him, but one of the 3 people I knocked unconscious had come clean. These 3 were still being interrogated for more information, but it seemed that the Danish Military wasn't getting much farther than they had already. Drago had been described as a madman with no conscience of mercy, so that sounded promising, and the man who was leading the enemies to attack the Archipelago. So far, no moves would be made until we knew more about this guy, how powerful he was, and how big his army was. You can't rush into battle without knowing who you are fighting.

Right now, the search was on to try and find Drago's base of operations and him. Once we had that, more moves could be discussed and made to stop this before another war began hopefully. I was at the base from 7 am to 11 am yesterday, and when I got home, all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. Mari came over to keep an eye on them for me, so when I got back she left, and I had the Vikings to teach more stuff. I've been working with them on learning how to use the modern appliances to cook, clean, do laundry, etc. For now; I'm only teaching them how to make breakfast foods; then we'd get on to lunch and dinner.

"Hiccup!" Brynjar burst through the door.

"For Thor's sake, Bryn! It's 8:30 in the morning, what is wrong?" I asked quickly.

"Oh, nothing is wrong. I was just making sure you're still here and didn't get shipped off because of the meeting yesterday," Brynjar stated. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Really?" I stared.

"It was just a meeting about how things are going with teaching the Vikings, and how things are on the islands…" I sighed.

"Well, excuse me, Lieutenant Haddock…The way they made it seem was super serious!" Brynjar argued.

"Well, I mean it kind of is, Brynjar. We're dealing with the threat of yet another war starting between the Archipelago and these unknown enemies. So far, everything is being maintained and going well with renovations and updates. No enemies have reached land as the Danish Navy and Air Force have been able to spot and repel any incoming attacks before they happen," I explained.

"And how're things with the dragon situation?" Stoick decided to ask.

"It's fine because I put my best military dragon trainers on the islands to deal with raids. You need not worry, I've mentioned this several times," I informed.

"Well, still, I'm glad you're not going anywhere…" Brynjar said.

"I would have let you know if I was," I assured.

"How do I know that, Hiccup? You can't seem to tell me or anyone else what Kongur meant the day of your birthday when he said that we couldn't know whatever was going on and why he told us what he did," Brynjar mumbled.

"Because I'm telling you that if I were getting sent somewhere; I'd tell you. Maybe not the location or mission, but I'd let ya know I'm leaving. Relax a little, Bryn. Come on; I'm okay, and everything will be okay. You just have to trust me," I stated.

"I trust ya, Hic. Alright, I better head out; I just wanted to make sure you were good," Brynjar smiled and turned to leave. This was my chance to maybe leave for a bit to talk to my dad or mom.

"Wait!" I called to him as Brynjar stopped and turned. "Can you, uh, stay with them for an hour or two while I run out?"

"You can't take them with you?" Brynjar asked. I shook my head. "Well, yeah, I guess so. Is…Everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…It's fine. I just have a couple of things to do, and it's faster if I..Go by myself," I mentioned quickly. Brynjar eyed me a moment.

"Are you sure that's what it's about?" Brynjar asked.

"Mmhm," I nodded. Brynjar sighed as he put his arm around my shoulder, and turned us, so our backs were to the group; then we took a few steps forward.

"Hiccup, I know you better than that. Come on, tell me what's up," Brynjar whispered.

"Look…I just need to talk to my mom or dad about something that's been going on and weighing on my mind," I revealed quietly.

"Is this about Vera?" Brynjar asked softly. I tensed a little. "So it is about her,"

"I-I just need to figure out what's going on, Bryn…I'm confused, scared, and-," I began.

"Hey, hey…It's okay…Relax, Hiccup. I'm not gonna make you explain anything to me; it's your business and feelings. And if you feel like you need to talk to your parents about sorting things out; I'm happy to help any way I can," Brynjar said.

"How'd you know it was about her?" I wondered.

"I told you; I know you better than you think. I've been watching how you two interact with one another since February drill weekend. I haven't seen you smile or look at anyone the way you did since Olivia hurt you," Brynjar smiled as he rubbed my arm a bit. "But if I can just say this," he paused. "Don't be afraid to feel something for someone else; it means your recovering, and that _someone else_ is helping to heal your heart from the wounds Olivia inflicted. Don't deny yourself a chance at happiness, Hiccup. And hey…I wouldn't mind you and Vera getting together; if you end up getting married; you'd actually be family because you'll be my cousin in law,"

"Heh-heh…Let's not…jump the gun, Bryn. There's…something there, but I just don't know what my feelings are, Bryn," I replied.

"It's cool; I get it. I'm just trying to lighten the mood and make ya laugh a little. Well, go on and talk to your parents then. I'll stay here with them," Brynjar chuckled.

"Thanks, Bryn. I really appreciate it," I told him as he let go of me. Brynjar nodded with a smile as I grabbed my shoes and whistled for Toothless. "Come on, bud! Lightheart, you coming along?" the Light Fury got up with Toothless as I opened the back door and we were gone.

 **. . .**

 _ **[8:45]  
**_ _[Copenhagen; Denmark's Dragon Training Academy]_

I landed with Toothless and Lightheart right beside us; I sent both of them to the stables or to play while I entered the central office and went to my father's office. I stopped by his receptionist. "Hello, Mr. Haddock,"

"Hi. Is my dad on the phone or in a meeting right now?" I asked.

"Um, nope. He actually just arrived at 8:30. His first meeting isn't until 11:00 am," the woman informed with a broad smile. "Go right in," she invited. I nodded and turned the handle to see my father relaxing at his desk with a cup of coffee and going over a few things.

"Hey, son!" Henrik greeted cheerfully as he quickly got up to greet me.

"Hey, dad," I replied, hugging him back.

"Well, what brings you by? Not that I'm not happy to see you, and never mind you just coming to visit," Henrik chuckled as we walked over to a little seating area with two chairs and a couch. Sometimes Mari came to visit with the kids, so Henrik set it up for them to have a little family space.

"I was hoping to talk to you about something, and maybe you can help me figure it out," I admitted.

"You know I'll do my best for you," Henrik smiled. "What's on your mind, son?"

I took a deep breath. "I really don't even know where to start," I sighed.

"Just say the first thing that comes to mind then, and we'll work off that," Henrik offered.

"Okay…I think I'm starting to like Vera," I stated. Henrik blinked.

"Katja and Brynjar's younger cousin?" Henrik asked. I nodded. "Alright…When did all this start?"

"February drill weekend…" I said. "I just…I know I feel something for her, but I can't figure out what. I know it's not like, but I don't know if its love. And I don't know if it's only because Vera's the only one who seems so engaged in learning about the moderness, so it keeps me distracted from thinking about my ex-wife…" I confessed with my head down.

"Okay, easy, son. Don't get yourself all stressed out and worked up," Henrik reminded. "Take a deep breath, and tell me what happened at February drill; we can start with that," he added.

"Colden came up with a joke challenge for us to get a boom box playing ridiculously annoying music off the top of a tall pole without physically touching the device, or using a ladder to climb up and knock it down. My first attempt, which was shot down, was using Toothless. Colden said no dragons, so I backed off, and the others tried to figure something out; this took a couple of hours. I was asked by the boys to think of something, and I told them I wasn't a miracle worker, Gobber told me I was Viking. I tried to deny that I was one, but…Vera stepped in, and she just said the most amazing thing that made me open my eyes about who and what I am," I took a breath.

"Instantly, I got the idea to use my old forge skills to build a bow and arrow. I hugged and twirled her around in the sheer joy that I figured something out because of what she said to me. I put her down immediately after I did it and we just…I don't know. Our eyes met, and I felt something inside ignite. Like lighter fluid to a small flame; it just burst up. It was like time stopped for just that moment, Dad. I heard someone clear their throat and it brought me back. We laughed a little and looked away from one another. I thanked her, nervously and embarrassed that I reacted that way; she said your welcome. After that, I shot the boom box down off the pole. Thanked Vera again, and she made a comment that maybe all the years away made me forget who I was…" I continued.

"And then?" Henrik pushed.

"I agreed with her and thanked her for bringing it back. And that if it ever happened again; I knew who to go to," I finished.

"Anything else happen since then?" Henrik inquired.

"Well, there was the next morning around 4 am…Colden threw us a war drill to react to. I did what I was supposed to, of course, but then soldiers rushed in and attacked. I knew it was part of the exercise, so I played along in fighting them off as if they were enemies. But…One went after Vera, and…I don't know what came over me, but that fire from the day before raged out with the desire to protect her. I pushed her out of the way and got myself grabbed in her place…Got hit a few times in the got by the second person…Vera was all worried for me, but I told her to stay back, and she'd be safe, and also when it was 3 against one…I might have yelled that I'm not losing anyone else…" I explained.

Sure, it wasn't the entire truth, but I was on orders not to reveal that surprise attack during the drill. Anyone who saw what really happened was told to say that it was just part of the exercise. The injury was kept quiet to anyone other than Alpha Company, Askel, and HQ.

"The only other thing was on Wednesday; she bonded to a dragon…And was all jumping up and down while hugging me. I cracked a few jokes; she punched me, but…Dad, when I'm with her I don't think about Olivia, and…I don't feel the pain of what she did. It's like what I feel for Vera is killing what I felt for Olivia; it's…Taking over and making me feel better. This…It's stronger. Like, I stay up late questioning over and over again why and how I ever loved Olivia. I-I didn't feel this way with Olivia, ever…And I'm scared. I'm so friggin' confused, and scared," I admitted while looking over at him.

"Why are you scared?"

"I-I don't know. That's the confusing part…I don't know why I'm scared. I-I should be happy that I'm starting to feel better, right? That I feel this way again…?" I asked.

"Hiccup, son…I think you're confused and scared because you've never felt this way before," Henrik stated as I stared at him. "You can't sit there and say that you feel this way again when you just admitted to me that what you feel for Vera is stronger than what you ever felt for Olivia," he continued.

"But…I only just got divorced, Dad. It's…Only been 4 months since I left Olivia and filed for that divorce. I don't…Understand that. You saw me the day I found out what Olivia did; I broke down on your for 20 minutes about her cheating for 7 months…And lying about the baby that I thought was mine and had hyped myself up to meet and be a father to. You saw how much that hurt me, and the day of my party when I kissed her, said I still loved her and had I not giving you the signed papers and my phone…I-I would have drunkenly made a mistake and taken her back," I sighed, but looked back at him.

"How? How is that I felt so strongly for her, but now this…It's like Olivia was just a bad dream, and feels like something I should never have done. That I shouldn't have gotten with her when I was 18, almost 19. I-I've had dreams where Vera replaces Olivia's place in my life…But of course, she never hurt me. It's just…I don't know how to explain it," I informed softly. "It's like…I-I regret everything with Olivia,"

"Boy, you got it bad," Henrik sat back and laughed a little.

"Um, I don't see how this is funny…And what? What have I got bad?" I demanded quickly, confused.

"Oh, son," Henrik chuckled a bit. "You don't have a crush on Vera, or like her," he added.

"I-I don't? So it's just a feeling I get because I want to feel something other than the pain of what Olivia did?" I asked.

"No, Hiccup. What I'm saying is that you aren't crushing or liking Vera at all. You're just straight up falling in love with her," Henrik stated. My eyes widened instantly.

"I'm what?" I stared, beside myself at what he said.

"You're falling in love with Vera, son. You're telling me that you regret absolutely everything with Olivia, that you should never have gotten with her 4 years ago," Henrik repeated.

"Was what I felt for Olivia just…I don't know…Fake?" I asked, not sure how to word it.

"No, son. You did love Olivia, but I don't think you were in love with her. There's a difference, Hiccup," Henrik chuckled.

"What's the difference because I thought Olivia was my everything? I gave her everything, Dad…" I sighed.

"Hiccup. The difference between loving someone and being in love has many examples. One is that loving someone is a choice, being in love is not. Think about it, son," Henrik explained.

I sat there thinking about his words and considered Olivia and Vera; how I felt for Olivia and how I currently feel for Vera. When I met Olivia, it was a crush that developed into like, deep like, and love. Everything was slow, steady, and seeing how things went between us as we moved through the stages until I asked her to marry me in 2015. I held my crush and deep like for Olivia from 2011-2014; then we started dating where it evolved into love the more time we spent together. But with Vera…Gods, it was effortless. Everything hit me fast and hard from that moment at drill when our eyes met after she reminded me who I was, and that maybe I wasn't a Viking like everyone else, but one of a kind in my own Viking way.

Thinking about all of this, Dad was right. I don't love Vera; I'm falling in love with her unless I cant confidently say that the falling is over and I'm just straight up in love with her now. "Starting to make sense?" Henrik asked.

"But is it worth it, Dad?" I countered. "Vera is a Viking from the Archipelago,"

"So are you, son," Henrik chucked.

"Not like that…I mean she actively lives there aside from this temporary arrangement. When all this is over, and she goes back…What happens then? I-I won't go back, and I can't expect her to give up the life she already has there," I sighed.

"Hiccup, don't worry about all the little things. Believe me; things will work out. You can sit here now and tell me all these won't's and can't's…But do you really know for sure that's how it is or will be?" Henrik inquired. "I've seen bigger problems than a living arrangement get worked out for 2 people in love,"

"So what do I do, Dad? Yeah…I get that I'm in love with or falling in love with Vera, but what now? I'm supposed to go tell her and hope she feels the same?" I mumbled.

"Well, that's the direct approach and usually always best," Henrik nodded. "Listen, son. How you go about this is up to you. All I can offer is my love and support with the advice of not fighting how you feel," I looked at him now. "You loved Olivia, and she broke your heart, now you have these feelings that you've never had before for Vera, and you claim they are making you wonder why you ever even got with Olivia. Yes, your divorce might have just finalized, and what happened with Olivia was 4 months ago…But does any of that really matter when you feel the way you do now?"

"I suppose not…" I replied.

"Hiccup, this is your heart and mind telling you that it's time to move on. I know you're scared to love again, but that's just it. What are you afraid of? You don't love Vera like you did Olivia. But you didn't feel for Olivia what you feel for Vera; you're the one who said that, not me. Olivia might be the nightmare, but what if Vera is the dream?" I guess I never thought about that before.

"You can't be scared to put yourself out there again because I firmly believe that Vera will not hurt you as Olivia did since Vera is the one healing your heart. Don't be afraid to give it to her, and she'll protect it. Don't be afraid to move on and forward in life, son. Don't be scared or deny yourself a chance at happiness. Remember, you had no control over these feelings happening, so don't fight them; just let it happen. Let the feelings take over. Let the fire rage. Let yourself fall, and be happy. No matter anything else, my son; everything will always work out how it's meant to be, alright?" Henrik put a hand on his shoulder.

I nodded. "Thanks, Dad,"

"So, when can I tell your mother?" Henrik chuckled.

"Heh…Let's just…Keep this between us for now…A-And Brynjar; he knew I had feelings for Vera too, but at the time, I wasn't sure how to interpret them," I stated.

"I wonder how he knew," Henrik questioned.

"He said he's seen how we interact since drill weekend in February…And hasn't seen me smile that way since before Olivia hurt me. Oddly enough; he also told me not to be afraid to feel something for someone else and don't deny myself a chance at happiness," I shrugged.

"Maybe he knows that Vera likes you," Henrik grinned.

"I doubt it…" I said.

"Son, he was able to tell you not to be afraid about having feelings for Vera based on the fact that he saw how you two were at drill. It stands to reason that maybe he saw something in Vera for you," Henrik patted his back a bit. "Now, off with you. I got your academy to run," he added.

"Just…One more thing. I know my feelings for Vera are deeper and stronger than anything I ever felt for Olivia, and Vera's presence does pull me away from the pain, but what Olivia did still hurts sometimes…You know? I question why I was ever with her; I know it's because I held feelings for her, chose to love her…But…what she did is still there," I stood up.

"And it probably always will be, son. You may not love her anymore, and regret all the time and effort you put into things, so much so that you wish it never happened at all. But what she did to you will always be with you and hurt. Just like with you losing your friends in war. It did happen, and you can't change it, and you will never forget. It might always sting because she did build you up so much to tear you down with what she did, made you believe. But…I believe with your friends, family, and Vera, Hiccup…That you will be fine; we won't let you fall as she did," Henrik assured.

I nodded again. "Thank you, Dad. I knew I could come to you about it," I hugged him.

"You know you always can, son," Henrik nodded. "Now, go on. I won't tell anyone about this," he winked. I smiled and left the office. Going to my dad helped a lot, and put things into perspective for me. So I was falling for Vera, and I should let it happen; let myself be happy. Now…I needed to decide when I was going to tell her.


	37. Care For

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Care For

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 3/30/2018-9:30 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

"So…Why'd he leave again?" Eret asked in the silence of the house. Brynjar was sitting on the couch on his phone.

"He had something to talk to Henrik about," Brynjar answered, not looking up. There was a thud, though, and Brynjar lifted his head and listened. "He's back," he pointed out. Seconds later, the back door opened and Hiccup walked in with Lightheart and Toothless on either side of him. Brynjar got up, slipping his phone away and smiling to greet Hiccup with his hand out. Hiccup connected his hand to Brynjar's as they pulled close and hugged.

"Thanks for sitting with them," Hiccup said.

"No problem. You, uh, get everything sorted out with your dad?" Brynjar wondered.

"Yep," Hiccup nodded.

"Am I getting an in-law soon?" Brynjar said quieter.

"Okay…Not _that_ sorted out," Hiccup stated.

"But…Enough that you know where you stand with things?" Brynjar tried as they pulled from the hug and separated hands.

"Yeah," Hiccup replied.

"When you saying something?" Brynjar inquired.

"When the time is right, Bryn. Relax, alright? Still kind'a new it all despite having things figured out," Hiccup said.

"Got ya. I better head out; I promised to take Dagny for Kat today so she can rest," Brynjar chuckled.

"She okay?" Hiccup questioned.

"Yeah, just really tired; she's gonna be 27 weeks tomorrow. And you know how energetic Dag is," Brynjar informed.

"Ah, okay," Hiccup nodded to him. "See ya later, man," Brynjar smiled and left the house.

"So…Why'd you have to leave and not take us with you?" Vera inquired with a broad smile.

"I, uh, my dad had asked me to come in and help him with something. It was just faster to take Toothless into the city and fix the problem," Hiccup responded. "Alright, what's next? What do you guys wanna do?" he asked.

"Well, weather doesn't seem like its gonna cooperate much," Alvin pointed out.

"What do you do for fun on stormy days?" Vera decided to ask. "It's your house, after all; it shouldn't always be about what we want,"

"What do I do? Grab a book and read, clean the house with music, draw; anything to keep me busy really. I hate sitting around unless it's to watch a movie," Hiccup shrugged.

"What kinds of things do you draw?" Brenna questioned.

"Random. Sometimes I find inspiration, others; I just doodle or sketch and see what happens," Hiccup replied calmly.

"So what are you gonna do today?" Thuggory asked.

"Well, the house is clean, so that's out. I could organize the storage rooms, maybe get you guys set up in there, so you're not all sleeping in my family room. The living room is usually much bigger and spread out with a different arrangement. Well…At least that's what Olivia and I planned to do until you guys ended up here…" Hiccup trailed off.

"You mean this entire space plus over there where the cots are was gonna be the living/family room?" Signy pondered.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, had the whole thing drawn out in my art room,"

"Can we see, laddie?" Gobber hoped. Hiccup moved off to the room where he kept his art things and brought it out, laying it on the table.

"It's not immensely different, but was going to offer more seating and a semi-open center for Toothless, and now Lightheart. Also, for Olivia to dance in; she loved to do that," Hiccup informed gently.

"Did you? Like dancing?" Stoick questioned. "Your mother did, but I only did it for her and to just one song,"

"Yes, I know. For The Dancing and The Dreaming," Hiccup stated as Stoick blinked. "Gobber told me a lot of stories when I was in the forge with him. That is a song I have on my phone and CD. For the answer to your question, though. Eh, sometimes. Guess you can say I'm the same way. I'm not a huge fan of dancing, but Olivia was the one to teach me how; the first time was at a town fair in August 2010," Hiccup admitted. "I've just picked up different styles over the years, though," he added.

"How many kinds are there?" Ruffnut inquired.

"There's fast, slow, and group. Before you ask…Group songs are where one song plays, and everyone dances to it the same way. I believe it's also called line-dancing," Hiccup answered. "Fast songs are for getting everyone pumped up and having a good time. Slow is for…Love, inspirational, uh, something you share with a partner, your mother or father," he added.

"Example?" Camicazi asked. "I didn't know they had songs like that?"

"I told you they got music for everything," Hiccup chuckled. "I'll show you later,"

"So, this is how you want your main area to look?" Vera wondered with a smile.

"It flows better in my opinion," Hiccup replied.

"Why don't you do it then?" Soren inquired.

"It's not a one day, one man job," Hiccup remarked.

"Well…You're kind'a not living here by yourself, Hiccup; you got us. We can help," Dagur offered.

"I mean if that's how guys wanna spend your day; then sure, I'm down to move some stuff around," Hiccup agreed.

"Yeah, come on; let's do it!" Tuffnut and Snotlout said together.

"Where do we start?" Eret asked.

"Alright, uh…The first thing that needs to happen is the storage rooms have to get cleaned out. That way I can put your beds and stuff in there, then I can move stuff around out here. The big question is where the hell do I put everything in the storage rooms…?" Hiccup pondered, tapping his chin. "Could put it in the weight room? Or the outside shed. Don't feel like making trips back and forth in the downpour, so that leaves weight room closet; I'm pretty sure it's empty right now…" he said, thinking out loud. "Okay, let's get started. One room at a time,"

"Are we all going to get moved into one of the storage rooms?" Viggo questioned gently.

"Oh, Gods no. You wouldn't all fit in just one. There are…20 of you; I have 4 storage rooms, only 2 of them are being used for storage. The other 2 are…I think I made those into Katja and Dagny's rooms when they stayed here for a bit. So, we only have 2 rooms to do, but back to splitting you up…There are 20 of you, 4 spare rooms…That's 5 people per room. I also think there is one more bathroom too, but it's only a half one,"

"What's that mean?" Astrid blinked a little. How could a room only be half?

"Half bathroom means that it's just a sink and toilet, no shower or tub," Hiccup explained.

"Ah," Astrid nodded.

"Okay, let's do this," Vera giggled, clapping her hands.

"You know, this won't be exciting once we start. Moving things around sucks," Hiccup chuckled.

"But it's fun that we're getting to help you, Hiccup. You always have the others do it," Vera informed.

"Well, I wasn't going to expect you guys to help me. You're guests, and around here, guests don't get stuck doing this kind of stuff. I ask my friends because we have a blast moving shit around with music and a couple of beers," Hiccup smiled. "But hey, I guess we could make this fun," he shrugged.

 **. . .**

 _ **[12:30 pm]**_

It took two and a half hours, but the 19 of them cleared out the 2 storage rooms on the far end of the hall on the left and right sides. And Hiccup had been right; there was a half bathroom all the way at the end; it was just behind a bunch of boxes. Everything had been moved across the living room and into the weight room closet, stacked neatly and labeled so Hiccup could find it if he needed it. Also, Hiccup deflated the air mattress in the one room Dagny and Katja used; he put that away in his bedroom closet. Now, all 4 rooms were ready for moving other things into.

"Alright…Lunch break," Hiccup informed with a smile.

"Wow, we got so much done," Heather stated.

"Out of curiosity, why do you have so many extra rooms, son?" Stoick wondered.

Hiccup's smile fell a bit as he was working on getting things to make lunch for everyone. "We wanted a big family," he finally said not looking at them. "Olivia and I started talking about getting our own place to live after the first time we made love, which is when we'd been together about 11 months, so September 2015. I insisted that it was big enough to house Toothless, that was the only thing I'd asked for," he started.

"A house or apartment would have been too small, so Henrik suggested buying an abandoned warehouse and converting it into a living space. By the time we found this place, it was already November 2015. Instantly; it needed a lot of work. I'll have to show you the pictures of before and after; I have them on my laptop in a folder. Anyway…My drawing skills made me the best person for the job of creating exactly what we wanted. I drew it out and gave it to the construction crew to start," Hiccup continued.

"Obviously, you know the in-between parts; I asked Olivia to marry me in December on Christmas Eve, then we were married at the end of January, almost a month later on Saturday, January 30th, 2016. Olivia and I went away for our honeymoon, a little vacation for the newlyweds. We were gone from February 1st to February 15th. And then I got deployed on the 19th to Iraq for 8 months. My family and Olivia oversaw all the renovations to this place while I was away. But when I got home in October 2016, everything was done. I hadn't planned for us to have the extra rooms; Olivia did that and when I asked why; she said it's because she wanted a big family and make sure we could live here comfortably with 3 or 4 kids, watch them grow up, have lives of their own, and we could stay until we both died,"

The Vikings could instantly tell that it was one of those questions they shouldn't have asked. Talking about Olivia still upset Hiccup a lot. "I'm…Sorry, Hiccup. I shouldn't have asked," Stoick said quietly.

"Nah, don't worry about it, Dad," Hiccup stated while he kept working on lunch. "You're entitled to ask questions; I'm not very well going to refuse to answer just because the answer involves my ex-wife," he added.

"Do you still love her?" Snotlout asked. Signy and Vera socked him in the arms. Astrid hit him upside the head, Brenna stepped on his foot. "Ow! What? It was a valid question!" Heather, Ruffnut, and Camicazi just shook their heads in disappointment at him.

"Come on, dude…" Dagur mentioned as Thuggory and Soren agreed.

"Not cool," Tuffnut said as Eret nodded.

"Hiccup, you do not have to answer that," Stoick stated firmly.

"It's…Fine. No, I don't love her anymore, but part of me will always care. One day, I'll forgive her for what happened, but we'll never be together again. I'll never forget her, the good times we had before everything happened. What she did still bothers me, probably always will. That's just the kind of person I am, no matter who hurts me; I don't hate, and I don't return the negative feelings people have towards me back onto them. I just remove people who hurt me from my life; that's why I divorced her. But…If she ever called and desperately needed my help; I would," Hiccup enlightened.

"Even after how much pain she brought you?" Astrid arched a brow. "Hiccup, you cried for half an hour; she broke your heart,"

"So did the members of the Hooligan Tribe except for Gobber and Gothi," Hiccup mentioned while beginning to pass out lunches, which was grinder sandwiches. He set Astrid's down in front of her carefully, "Remember? I hurt so bad on Berk that I wanted to kill myself until I met Toothless and found a way to get away. However, despite how I was treated day in and day out since I was like 8; I still came back and helped when you were in trouble, didn't I?"

"W-Well, yes, but…You didn't want to come back; you said you only did because you were ordered," Heather jumped in.

"I was ordered to leave Afghanistan and return to the Archipelago, but nobody told me to step foot on the island," Hiccup informed calmly as they looked at him shocked. "That's right. I was on the ship, and I was told I could stay there if I wanted because everyone in Alpha Company knows I didn't want to go back. Even Askel knows. Nobody needed me to translate for you, Colden knows Norse. He could have handled the whole thing himself, and I never had to make myself known. I could have stayed hidden, and you would never have known I was there. But when I realized there was a raid, and enemies attacking; I chose to show you I was alive and well," he added.

"I chose to save the Hooligans, and the rest of you despite how I was treated over the years. And I continue to ensure that you're taken care of by allowing you in my home and teaching you everything you need to know to survive now and into the future as Henrik did the same for me. So don't get on my ass about helping people who've hurt me, because I did the very same for all of you when I didn't have to do anything. Always remember that; Olivia didn't hurt me half as bad as you did, but I chose to save and help you when you needed it; I was not made to do anything," Hiccup sat down and started eating his sandwich.

Sadly, nobody could say anything more to argue this point because Hiccup was absolutely right. Hiccup was treated terribly by his own Tribe, so much that he wanted to end his own life. Thankfully, he met Toothless and things changed because he had just one friend. Hiccup chose to leave because he felt like he wasn't wanted, but…Hiccup returned to the Archipelago after almost 8 years of being gone to help when they needed it. Nobody asked or ordered him to assist; Hiccup just did it because it was the right thing to do and he didn't let them suffer. Hiccup was not heartless or someone who held a grudge and extracted revenge. Hiccup helped them because despite how they all were to him; he still cares. Beneath the hard, cold exterior he put on sometimes or the snide comments about how they made him feel back then; Hiccup still cared about them, and he helped because he wanted to.

 **. . .**

 _ **[1:30]**_

An hour after the break started; Hiccup was back to work with moving the Viking's cots into the rooms, 5 per each one. The Vikings were still eating because they felt like Hiccup was in a bad mood; it happened after the subject of everything 8 years ago got touched. Hiccup finished moving all the beds, foot of the bed trunks, and little end tables by 2 pm.

"Alright, you guys can rearrange who sleeps in what room as you see fit; I just moved them where they are to get them out of the way," Hiccup informed.

"Thanks, Hiccup," Signy, Brenna, and Vera said gently.

"No problem," Hiccup replied with a head nod. Hiccup grabbed the surround sound remote off the table and pressed a button as music started playing. "Oh, good song; I love the oldies,"

"Oldies?" Alvin arched a brow.

"Oldies or Classics are songs that are 25 years or older than the current year we're in. So…this song was released in 1977. That was 41 years ago," Hiccup explained. "Have I taught you nothing in the last almost 5 months?"

"But, you weren't born in that year, so how do you know them?" Viggo asked.

"Doesn't matter because they still exist. Some songs die out, but others live on and with the internet; you can find anything," Hiccup shrugged, picking up a chair and moving it to where he wanted it to be. "When I came here 8 years ago, Henrik showed me everything he could, so I've spent a lot of time catching up on everything I've missed since I was born, and even things that were before my time. I don't usually listen to anything past the 70's, that was 20 years before me; good music," he added.

"So, what's something from the 90's? That's…When we were all born, right?" Heather inquired.

"Or the 2000's, where we are now," Camicazi tried.

"Far too many choices in all that," Hiccup replied as his eye caught sight of Vera; she looked tired and miserable. Hiccup strolled over calmly and stood next to her, bending over with his arms on the table. "Why don't you go take a short nap, Vera?"

"Hm, why?" Vera asked softly.

"Because from way over there I can see that you are tired and don't look well," Hiccup pointed out gently.

"It's just my head bothering me, a-and my throat a little bit," Vera sniffed a bit.

"And that is the sound of a stuffy/runny nose. You, Milady, are developing a cold," Hiccup informed as he got up and moved to the bathroom, grabbing something and returning; then he got a water bottle before getting back to her side. "Here. This is something to keep the symptoms down, and this will soothe your throat. Colds get worse before they get better; this will ease things," he stated. "And then the best medicine aside from those helpers is to rest," he smiled.

"So how do I take these?" Vera asked, feeling stupid.

"Swallow these two with water; then suck on this one until it's gone." Hiccup instructed. Vera nodded, taking the orange pills with water. Afterward, she unwrapped the second one and set it in her mouth to suck on it.

"It tastes sweet, like cherries," Vera smiled some. "But every time I swallow; there's cold and numbing,"

"Then the lozenge is doing its job," Hiccup laughed a bit. "Let me know when it's gone; then you can go lay down in my room to rest,"

"Y-Your ro-room?" Vera blinked, blushing a little.

"Well, if you're sick; you need to be isolated, which means kept in one place. It's so the cold doesn't spread to anyone else. Colds usually only last a week, 5-7 days. So, you can stay in my room until you're better; I'll sleep on the couch," Hiccup stated while going back to moving objects around. 6 minutes later, Vera finished the throat lozenge.

"It's gone," Vera reported.

"Alright, come on. Grab that water bottle and follow me," Hiccup said. Vera got off the chair and started behind Hiccup's path into his room. With it just them now, even though the door was open; Hiccup pulled back the covers of his bed and invited Vera to get on and lay down. Nervously, Vera took off her shoes and laid in the bed slowly. "Now, just try to get some rest. You can use the bathroom back there if you need to, and I'm right in the next room if you require anything. Just give a holler,"

Vera nodded. "Okay…Thank you," she said.

"No problem," Hiccup replied with a smile. "You don't gotta worry; I'll take care of you," he added before covering her up and exiting the room, closing the door once stepping out. Vera looked around at first; she'd seen Hiccup's room before, but that was when they arrived, and it was just a quick peek. Now, she was in it and his bed! Hiccup was giving up his room for her to get better. Suddenly, Vera didn't think she liked Hiccup anymore; she was falling in love with him. Or maybe she had been all along with how strong her feelings were since February drill weekend. Vera pulled the covers up over her head and sighed; she needed to get some sleep. Vera turned over to her right side and closed her eyes, drifting to sleep within 10 minutes.


	38. Relaxing Night

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Relaxing Night

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Thursday, 4/5/2018-6:30 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

As Hiccup promised he would; he took care of Vera while she was sick; it was going on 7 days tomorrow. Hiccup let her eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with everyone, so she wasn't cooped up all day long for a week. Hiccup's living room was finished on the 30th before dinner; it looked amazing. Toothless and Lightheart now had the entire half of the living room where the fireplace was since they liked the heat so much. Everything else was the end tables, seating, and a center table or two. The set up allowed everyone to be in the same place, see the TV, and into the kitchen. For the Vikings; they were all successfully moved into the spare rooms down the hall, which, the left side of was right against Hiccup's bedroom wall.

On the right side, first door was Stoick, Gobber, Viggo, Alvin, and Halvor. The second door after the first was Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, Camicazi, and Thuggory. On the left first door was Vera, Astrid, Dagur, Heather, and Valda. And the second left room held Snotlout, Eret, Signy, Soren, and Brenna. Everyone had a cot, pillow, blanket, nightstand, and trunk at the foot of their bed to store their clothes. The rooms all had the same setup; two beds each on the left and right walls, then one bed directly across from the entry door. It looked nice, flowed good, gave everyone a good amount of space on either side of their bed; Hiccup organized it himself.

Tonight was just everyone relaxing because once again; Hiccup had drill at 5 am tomorrow morning, he would likely be going to bed around 9:30 or 10 pm as he always did the night before a drill weekend, but for now; it was 6:30 pm and everyone was chilling in the living room after dinner at 5 pm. Vera skipped dinner because she was fast asleep for it, but Hiccup had made her a plate and set it aside in the microwave. Hiccup was sitting in his chair as the Vikings were watching The Avengers. Hiccup said they'd love it because not only was it hilarious, but the Gods they believed in were mentioned and played by actors.

Hiccup wasn't watching; he was reading a book on an angle where his legs were over the arms of the chair, but his back was against the other arm and backrest. The book was resting against the one leg that was up and basically sitting on Hiccup's crotch; the two together made a good stand, or that's what the Vikings assumed when they saw the position Hiccup was reclined in. Also, Hiccup had his headphones in and listening to music while reading; they could see Hiccup's foot moving up and down to the beat of whatever he was listening to. The movie was almost over; it was in the final fight scenes, so the Vikings wondered what would happen afterward. When the movie ended, Vera ended up coming out of the room.

"How are you feeling?" Hiccup asked before anyone else could. The Vikings looked at him as he put the marker in place, then paused his music and took the headphones out.

"How'd you even know I was out of the room?" Vera inquired. "You were zoned in the book with your music on?"

"I saw Toothless lift his head up and look towards my bedroom. I'm a soldier; it's awareness of my surroundings. It doesn't matter what I'm doing at the time; I still need to see and know what's happening around me," Hiccup replied as he looked over at her; then set his book down with the phone and headphones on his end table before fixing his legs and sitting up. "So again," he chuckled a little. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Vera smiled. "Not stuffy or runny, throat is fine, and my headache is gone," she informed.

"That's good, but still one more day of resting," Hiccup stated.

"B-But I'm okay now," Vera frowned.

"Or so you think. Just because you feel good now, doesn't mean you're entirely cured; it just means you're better than you were. Trust me, give it one more day. You'll thank me for it because you'll feel all better, not just much better," Hiccup stood up now. "That's my mother's golden rule with sicknesses; even if you feel better, rest one more day,"

"Well, I'm hungry…And sick of laying down in there by myself," Vera mumbled. "Can't I stay out here for just a couple of hours?"

"Oh, I suppose so. Come on; I set dinner aside for you," Hiccup led her to the kitchen; he warmed up her food for a minute and a half, then set it down with a fork, napkin, and glass of orange juice.

"Thanks," Vera beamed at him.

"You're welcome," Hiccup responded.

"So what's everyone been doing while I've basically slept this whole week away?" Vera wondered; then took a bite of her food.

"Waiting for you to get better, watching movies, or tv shows. Hiccup said he'd wait to teach us more, so you wouldn't miss anything," Viggo told his niece.

"Sounds boring," Vera giggled.

"It is," a few of the Vikings sighed.

"It wouldn't be boring if you had ways to entertain yourselves," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"What, like the self-pleasure thing?" Tuffnut asked.

"Okay, first off, that is not a group activity; it's done in privacy. Secondly, yes; it is a way to cure boredom," Hiccup mumbled.

"Have you done it recently?" Ruffnut inquired.

"Excuse me?" Hiccup blinked.

"Have you done it any time since getting divorced," Camicazi asked. "You said you'd done it before when you get turned on or bored. We've had a lot of boring days,"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Hiccup remarked.

"Yes, actually; that's why I asked," Camicazi stated.

"Well, the answer is no," Hiccup replied. "For starters, it's none of your business if I have or haven't; if I want to, I will on my own time. Also, on that note; I have no need to do it for that particular reason as I don't allow myself to get that bored. The only other reason people do it is that they're turned on, and I haven't been aroused," he added.

"That's a lie. You said you were frightened and aroused the day Vera punched you," Astrid accused.

"That doesn't mean a thing. Just because you get the feeling, doesn't mean you have to do anything about it. Most guys ignore it, and it goes away; they only do something if they get hard because it hurts like a bitch if you don't. And secondly, I said it as a joke, but it was impressive she can punch like a man. No offense, Ver," Hiccup stated.

"Oh, don't even worry about it; I take it as a compliment," Vera said, waving it off as she ate her dinner, mildly entertained by this dispute.

"But you did get aroused by it?" Thuggory pushed.

"I found it attractive, yes," Hiccup admitted. "But it was more spur of the moment feeling that faded a moment later," he added.

"You and Brynjar joked about you having sex with her," Viggo pointed out.

"Hey, hey, don't get it twisted. There was no insinuation that I was going to have sex with Vera. Bryn and I were joking about the fact he has no problem with me sleeping with Katja but got defensive and protective about Vera. It's because Vera's a virgin; she's still pure and doesn't want her just giving it up to someone she doesn't care about," Hiccup explained.

"But you argued that fact," Stoick reminded.

"Because I wanted him to see that there's no difference in his own reasoning. If he's okay with me fucking Kat with the understanding that he knows I wouldn't hurt her; then why would I hurt his little cousin?" Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"What if Vera did care about you?" Heather inquired. "And wanted to?"

"Then that changes the situation, doesn't it?" Hiccup responded.

"So if Vera wanted you to fuck her, you would?" Dagur arched a brow.

"No," Hiccup said, surprising Vera a bit.

"But you just said-," Camicazi began.

"I said it would change the situation; I did not say I would have sex with her because of said change. Let me put it this way; I'm not having sex with anyone that I'm not in a relationship with because the particular act of intimacy is not something you're supposed to do just because you can. If I'm having sex with someone; it's because I love them. Two people who care about one another and want to show that in a physical sense by making love, which is another term for it. Yes, many jokes are cracked about it with my friends and me, but it would never happen. I'd never sleep with Katja; she's my best friend. I'd never sleep with Eira, or Frieda either. Foreplay as a way to get off and relieve sexual tension?…Maybe, but not sex," Hiccup informed.

"The last and only person I've had sex with was Olivia before I found out she was cheating on me; that was probably on Monday, November 20th, 2017. The last time I ever masturbated was almost a year ago now; Olivia was on her period the week before I left for Afghanistan and we weren't having sex during it, so while she was at work and I was turned on because I knew I wouldn't see her again until I went on leave, which was in September; So, I did it," Hiccup added shortly afterward. "I swear to Odin; this subject alone is the only one that seems to spark your attention, and you ask the most questions about,"

"Because it's interesting, Hiccup. We didn't really do self-pleasure," Vera remarked gently. "We just go straight for marriage and sex. And you know one of the rules with those two subjects, at least with an Heir to a Tribe is the consummation of the marriage is public,"

"Oh, I'm all too aware of how it works with Vikings," Hiccup sighed. "That's why I'm glad I live here. Sex is supposed to be a private matter between lovers, not public entertainment to confirm or validate anything. Geeze…But seriously, why do you want to know so much about me with it?"

"Because you're the only one in this room right now who has done it before; you have the experience," Vera giggled.

"If you want to know so bad, go to the bathroom and try it yourself. Me telling you what I've done doesn't show you how it works or feels. It's no different than all the lessons I've been giving you on what things are and making you operate them on your own. The only difference in this particular matter is that I'm not going to stand off to the side while you do it because it's meant to be done in private. If I'm gonna do it; it'll be when no one suspects I could be. It's not made to be public knowledge, even though everyone may know. You keep it to yourself and respect others," Hiccup muttered.

Vera put her hands on his shoulders, smiling. "Hey, easy, Hiccup. We only ask you because of exactly what you said; you tell and teach us; then make us do it ourselves. But…You've always stood to the side and stepped in to help if we do something wrong. You just stated that with masturbation; it's private and you wouldn't be around if we decided to try it. How do we know if we're doing something wrong as its something we're not familiar with?"

"I get your point, but the whole point of self-pleasure is to bring pleasure to yourself if you're unable to have sex. Only you can figure out what works for you by just trying different things; only you can feel what you like and don't like. Even if I were to be with you; I still can't correct anything if you're not getting the outcome you wanted. In some cases; I could help, but only with the girls and at that point…It becomes foreplay if I'm touching you, not self-pleasure because you're not doing it to yourself," Hiccup sighed.

"Why can you help the girls, but not the guys?" Snotlout asked.

"Because I'm not into men, you muttonhead. Unless you're gay or bisexual, meaning you are attracted to other men or a doctor; then men do not, under any circumstances, touch one another," Hiccup stated firmly. "You want help, again, it becomes foreplay, and done by a female. And I'm not calling over my perverted ass female friends to help you," he added.

"Oh, but you can for yourself?" Tuffnut remarked.

"First of all; I don't need help getting off, I learned on my own. Secondly, if I call Eira, Katja, or Frieda over for that; it's foreplay and used for the purpose of getting one another off, not just one person. Thirdly, they don't know you on that level to even agree," Hiccup informed.

"What's…Bisexual?" Ruffnut asked.

"Means you are attracted to both men and women; could be with either," Hiccup enlightened. "Straight is man and woman. Gay is two men, lesbian is two women," he added on to clarify.

"So you won't have sex again unless you are, what's the word you do before betrothal, _dating_ the girl?" Astrid asked.

"For me, yes. There are others out there who have sex just because they want to. Some people have one night stands, which is where they get drunk and hook up with a random person, have sex, then never see one another again. There are some who do what Olivia did; hook up a couple times a week. It all depends on the person and what they want. Me, I believe in only having sex with someone I love and care about as more than a friend," Hiccup responded while sitting down in his chair again.

"And you don't mind the foreplay with girls who are just friends?" Brenna stared.

"That is not an all-the-time thing. We're talking once in a long while," Hiccup answered.

"If you could put a number on it, how often?" Eret tried.

"Um…Never?" Hiccup stated. "It's been joked about countless times, but it's never actually happened," he relaxed. I met Eira, Frieda, her brother Frode, Katja, Olivia, Dane, and Brynjar all around the same time; it was some Summer festival after I'd arrived in Denmark 8 years ago. Everyone was up and dancing around, Olivia approached me and asked if I wanted to join in; I told her I didn't know how, so she taught me. After that; I met her friends, which were Bryn, Kat, and the others. Now…Olivia and I had crushes on one another up until a little after 2011, like…Maybe a full year. We kept things that way because I was still getting used to things in this place, but the feelings continued to get stronger until 2014 when we actually admitted to liking one another and starting a relationship. It developed into love over that year; we had sex after 11 months of dating, and then I asked her to marry me because I loved her and wanted to spend my life with her,"

"But…Obviously…That's not happening now because of what she did, so why did Eira, Katja, and Frieda basically throw themselves at you at your birthday party?" Ruffnut asked.

"They made it seem like you've done it before," Tuffnut added.

"Nope, never. It was just them having fun. Frieda never would, and her brother would murder me; I really don't put it past him. Their family firmly believes in not doing foreplay or having sex until marriage, so she just messes around and jokes for a few laughs with the others. Secretly, she's a massive pervert, but harmless. Katja, as I said, is my best friend. Although, she's pregnant right now and horny all the time, so maybe. Eira…Well, her…Yeah, she probably would. That girl is crazy; she's never had a crush on me, but she thinks I'm hot and has always wanted one chance to have sex with me. No idea why; I have my reservations its because Olivia was always telling her how good it was with me," Hiccup shrugged.

"Was it good?" Astrid inquired.

"Was for me, assuming it was for her too. Up until I wasn't around to give it to her whenever she wanted," Hiccup shrugged.

"So…If you wanted to get off, now that you're single, not using masturbation…You'd call her? Eira or Katja?" Snotlout inquired.

"Maybe," Hiccup replied. "Or she'll call me,"

"Why'd you say you could have sex with anyone if you wanted it that bad if you wouldn't really do it?" Thuggory wondered.

"Just screwing around mostly, but, I could do it if I wanted to. That's just not how I am…I'm not like Dane, who fucks whoever whenever just because I can. I told you, it's all about what you believe. And I don't believe sex should be had just because you can. I'd rather only share that experience with someone I love and care about," he added while sitting the way he was before in the chair and picking the book up again. "That's the belief Henrik taught me, and I've chosen to stand by it because I feel he's right about it," he opened it to the place he was before.

"Can we watch cartoons, Hiccup?" Valda asked gently.

"Sure," Hiccup reached for the remote and changed the TV over to cable, putting it on the kids one for them.

"Oh, I love this! Dagny showed it to me!" Valda giggled excitedly. Hiccup chuckled while shaking his head and going back to reading. The Vikings slowly made their way back over into the living room and sat down while Halvor and Valda were watching whatever Hiccup had put on for them. Valda was trying to sing the songs, but she was quiet and shy because everyone was watching her and she didn't like being the only one who was. Valda frowned and just continued to watch. Hiccup smiled some as he continued reading.

" _It isn't that I'm ungrateful, for all the things that I've earned. For all the journies I have taken; all the lessons that I have learned. But I wonder where I'm going now, what my role is meant to be? I don't know how to travel to a future that I can't see,"_ Hiccup started singing the song on the TV. Everyone looked his way, but he was still reading his book.

" _I have my wings, I wear this crown,"_ Hiccup started again.

" _I'm a princess, this is true,"_ Valda started with Hiccup now.

" _But it's still unclear to me what I am meant to do,"_ Hiccup and Valda sang, even though Hiccup never looked up. _"I want to have a purpose. I want to do all that I can. I want to make a contribution; I want to be a part of the plan,"_ Finally, Hiccup closed the book and set it aside on the table as he looked at Valda and patted his leg for her to sit with him. Valda beamed brightly and hurried over. Hiccup set her on his legs smiling.

" _Your destiny's uncertain, and that's sometimes hard to take. But it will become much clearer with every new choice you make. Patience is never easy; I understand wanting more. I know how hard it is to spread out your wings and soar. But you stand here for a reason; you are gifted, and you are strong. That crown is upon your head because you belong!"_ Hiccup continued as he poked Valda's nose.

" _Know that your time is coming soon. As the sun rises, so does the moon. As love finds a place in every heart; you are a princess, you'll play your part. We understand you wanting more. A chance to shine, a chance to soar. Soon will come the day it turns around! Know that your time is coming soon. As the sun rises, so does the moon. As love finds a place in every heart; you are a princess, you'll play your part,"_ Hiccup and Valda continued, both smiling.

"Oh, that's precious…" Vera, Signy, and Brenna clasped their hands together in adoration of the scene before them of Hiccup singing with his little sister.

"What?" the males asked.

"She tried to sing before, but didn't like doing it alone…Hiccup started singing with her," Astrid rolled her eyes.

" _You are a princess…You'll play your part,"_ Hiccup finished gently. Valda quickly hugged him tightly with a broad smile. **(Song was "You'll Play Your Part" from My Little Pony, Season 4.)**

"You're the best big brother I've ever had," Valda said.

"I'm the only big brother you have," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"That's why you're the best," Halvor and Valda said together. Hiccup hugged both of them tightly. "We love you,"

"Yeah, I love you too," Hiccup replied. "Now, go on and watch TV," he released them as they hurried back over to keep watching the show. Hiccup leaned back in his chair, picking the book up once more and continuing to read. "You can all stop looking at me that way any time now," he added without looking up. "It's not that big of a deal that I sang with my little sister when she was afraid to do it alone. Just mind your own and go back to relaxing,"

Feeling that they couldn't really argue, but had all loved that Hiccup was bonding with his siblings, accepting them as part of his life; they sat back and continued doing their own thing. Hiccup had drill tomorrow morning at 5 am, so they'd need to be ready for 4:30 am and not make him late. It was best to chill out and enjoy the night because for once, it was a relaxing one and they all wanted to keep it that way.


	39. In Good Hands

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

In Good Hands

=Vera's POV=  
 _ **[Thursday, 4/5/2018-8:45 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

If it was wrong that I fell in love with Hiccup Haddock; then I never wanted to be right. I had no control over this happening; I couldn't stop it, and honestly, I didn't want to either. I knew Hiccup would have a hard time trusting another female again because Olivia wounded him so deeply in an emotional sense. But I really hoped that what Brynjar said to me was true; I wanted to know if my presence in Hiccup's life was making him feel better. Also, I was keeping Brynjar's words close to heart; he warned me not to hurt Hiccup. Of course, I didn't want to hurt Hiccup…I-I wanted to be the one to help him. When it felt right; I'd tell him I'm in love with him.

I finally have my Dragon Ownership ID! Hiccup did get it finished a bit later than he originally said, but it was done now and looked amazing. There was a picture of me next to all my information, and then below was one of Moodscale and all her stuff. Hiccup promised that when I was better, he would start teaching me the things I needed to know.

Currently, it's about 8:45 pm. I'm honestly feeling a bit tired, so I'm likely going to go to sleep for the rest of the night and pray I'm all better tomorrow morning when we all had to be up at 4 am to get ready to leave for Hiccup's drill weekend at 4:30 am. We'd gotten it down to a routine after February's problem of showing up late. There are 20 of us and one bathroom with a shower. It goes 10 people every other day, also, only 5 in the morning and 5 at night. It worked well for us; those who didn't shower one day would just change clothes, brush their teeth and hair, and put on deodorant.

"Vera," Hiccup said.

"Hm?" I looked at him as he was still reading his book.

"Go to bed; you're falling asleep," Hiccup stated. Was I? Well, I was pretty tired.

"Okay," I nodded as I got up. "Still in your room for one more night?" I asked.

"We wouldn't want to risk getting anyone else sick, would we?" Hiccup inquired. I shook my head to him. "Then yes, back to my room. Goodnight, sweet dreams," he added with a smile.

I blushed a little. "Night and…You too, I guess?" Hiccup nodded as I waved to the rest and entered Hiccup's room, closing the door behind me. I into the bed yawning. Not long after; I fell fast asleep.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[9:40 pm]  
**_ **(Warning, there is masturbation and foreplay through here! Read at your own risk -Nightstar)**

Hiccup closed his book after sliding the marker in and set it down on the table. Hiccup got up, cracking his back and stretching before lifting his phone up. "Alright, everyone to bed. Tomorrow morning starts another fun drill weekend for me," he informed the others.

"Kay. Night, Hiccup," a few said as Hiccup turned off the TV, locked the doors, and set the alarm system. Hiccup was preparing his place on the couch to sleep when it dawned on him that he could probably sleep in a bit longer if he showered tonight. Hiccup moved towards his room and carefully opened the door, peering inside. Vera was fast asleep, so Hiccup quietly moved inside and entered his bathroom with a pair of underwear and sleep pants.

Hiccup closed the bathroom door a bit, turned on the shower, got it hot, then stripped down to step inside and close the curtain. Hiccup stepped under the water and breathed out a sigh of relaxation while letting the water pour over his body. Hiccup closed his eyes, just standing there for a few moments. After that; Hiccup began washing his hair with the shampoo and rinsing it out. Following that, Hiccup started cleaning his body. While reaching his cock; Hiccup actually liked the feeling he was getting as his soapy hands moved back and forth while washing himself, so much so that he ended up hard.

 _Damn it…_ Hiccup thought as he saw himself fully erect now. Hiccup contemplated his situation for a few seconds; it was about 10 pm at night, everyone was sleeping, and he was alone. _It's not like I do this all the time…_ He decided. Hiccup got the rest of the soap of his body before moving back out of the water flow. Hiccup brought his left hand to his hardened length and began to stroke himself slowly.

Hiccup closed his eyes, leaning his head against the shower wall as he continued stroking, moving a little faster and letting a moan escape his mouth. Outside the bathroom; Vera had just woken up needing to use the restroom, she tiredly got out of bed and headed for the bathroom while yawning and had her eyes closed. What made her eyes snap open was hearing the distinct sound of the shower running, soft pants and moans. Vera opened the door and instantly laid her chocolate brown eyes on the scene of Hiccup facing the wall of the shower, his right arm against the wall with his head on it while his left was stroking his hard penis back and forth in his hand.

Instantly, her eyes widened as Hiccup clenched his right hand into a fist as his breathing picked up; his movements became faster. "Gods…Fuck…" Hiccup moaned as Vera saw him bend down a bit to aim his length downward and cum; it shot out in spurts. Hiccup's strokes came slower as he finished releasing and let himself go. Hiccup stood up straight, lifting his head off his arm, which he lowered from the wall. However, he caught sight of something standing in the doorway; he did a double-take and saw Vera standing there. "Vera!?" Hiccup quickly looked down at himself revealed to her.

"Oh, my Gods! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Hiccup!" Vera replied, horrified that she saw what she did by accident and stood there like an idiot instead of just walking away. Hiccup moved behind the curtain, also terrified that Vera caught him masturbating.

"Wh-What are you doing in here?!" Hiccup asked instantly.

"I-I woke up to use the bathroom…I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't realize you were in here and-," Vera panicked, turning her back from the door. "Gods, I'm so sorry,"

The sad part is, Hiccup couldn't even be upset about it. It wasn't Vera's fault; she was sleeping, and Hiccup didn't tell her he would be in there. And he should have made sure the door was closed and locked. "No, Vera…I am. I-I should have told you I was going to be in here or locked the door. I'm sorry you…Had to see however much you did,"

"No, Hiccup…It's your room. Hell, it's…Your house. You don't…Have to tell me anything about what you choose to do. Y-You're allowed t-to do _that_ if you want…I-I'm sorry for barging in; I should have been…Paying more attention. I-I'm so sorry…" Vera said.

"I-It's okay…I-I'm not mad at you, Vera…W-We're good, no problem, right?" Hiccup asked.

"Y-Yeah, yeah. No problem!" Vera said right away, nodding. Silence between them.

"So, um…Ver?" Hiccup said.

"Hm?" Vera replied.

"Can you, uh, get out…? S-So I can finish?" Hiccup inquired.

"Oh, yes! Sorry!" Vera quickly closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed, entirely embarrassed by what she did and saw. Hiccup slammed his head against the wall in frustration; he couldn't believe he didn't close the door or at least hide better behind the curtain. Hiccup sighed as he speedily rinsed himself off once more, shut the water off, then stepped out with the towel around himself. Hiccup got dressed, did a quick shave, and checked the time; _**10:20 pm**_. Hiccup opened the bathroom door and saw that Vera wasn't in the room. Hiccup reached the living room and flopped down on the couch, covering his face with his hands.

Vera had only left the room to use the bathroom in the main area of the house, and splash her face a little. Thankfully, nobody had come out to ask about whatever happened in the bedroom with the yelling. Vera saw Hiccup laying there, almost beating himself about what happened; she didn't want to make things any more awkward between them, or risk having the others wake up and ask questions. Gods, after the earlier conversations; they would never let Hiccup live it down that he masturbated in the shower with Vera not even 5 feet away from the bathroom, and that she walked in on it.

Vera quickly got into the bedroom and laid on the bed staring up at the ceiling. The worst part about everything she saw was that she saw _everything_. Hiccup, full body nude and entirely erect. Vera couldn't get it out of her mind how Hiccup stroked himself to release, or how big Hiccup was. If Vera had to think about size in what Hiccup taught them about inches and feet; Hiccup was about 7-8 inches while erect, and he wasn't just long, but thick too. The water dripping down his perfectly sculpted muscles and body. Gods, even his butt looked good from the side. Vera couldn't believe how aroused she got from just standing there for the 10 seconds she did and seeing Hiccup finish before he noticed her.

The arousal was driving her crazy; Hiccup did it; he got aroused and masturbated…So why couldn't she? Vera slid her right hand down the front of her body and into her sleep pants and underwear. Vera lightly touched her womanhood and gasped a little. Vera closed her eyes rubbing a bit and moaning a little. "A-Ah…" Vera spread her legs more and moved the heavy quilt off as she slid a finger between her folds, teasing the entrance of her core with the tip of her middle finger. Vera slowly slid it in, biting her lip to keep from moaning too loudly. "Ah, mmm!" Vera began to pump her finger a little. Vera didn't know what she was going for; releasing was probably the goal, but she didn't know how that felt or if she was doing this right to bring herself to the orgasm. Vera knew that right now; it felt good.

In the living room, Hiccup had heard Vera re-enter the bedroom; he knew that he should go assure her that everything was okay. It wasn't a big deal that she saw him masturbating, and it was an accident. Hiccup got up and moved towards the bedroom; it was silent, so maybe she'd fallen asleep. Hiccup opened the door a bit and looked inside to see Vera laying down with her hand down her pants and moaning a little. Was she masturbating? Hiccup couldn't believe it.

"Ver?" Hiccup said from outside the door, knocking a bit before opening it more.

"Hiccup!" Vera drew up her hand quickly, panting and scared that she'd been caught. "I, uh…This…Isn't what-," Vera stopped. There was no point in lying about it. "Okay, it's exactly what it looked like…" she sighed and looked down. Hiccup came in the room, closing the door behind him and flipping on the nightstand lamp. "Guess we're even,"

Hiccup laughed a little. "Guess so," he replied. "I can leave if you want to finish?"

"No, no…It's okay. I-I don't really know what I'm doing anyway…Um…What brings you in? Even though it's your room anyway," Vera asked.

"I was coming into make sure you were okay from earlier…I'm…Guessing that was your first time ever seeing a guy naked and…alert?" Hiccup inquired. Vera blushed, nodding. "How, uh, how long were standing there before I saw you?"

"Less than 20 seconds…" Vera admitted. "What, uh…What made you aroused?"

"I was just really relaxed in the shower while washing myself, kind'a happened out of the blue. Figured I was alone and everyone sleeping so I might as well have a little fun…It's been months since I've had any action," Hiccup shrugged. "What's your excuse?" he turned the question to her. Vera blushed harder, turning her head.

"I, uh…I-I was…Thinking about you…" Vera confessed nervously. Hiccup blinked, surprised.

"M-Me?" Hiccup asked.

"Well…W-What…You were doing in the shower. I-I, uh, was thinking about how easily you do it…If that makes sense?" Vera informed as Hiccup nodded a bit. "But you've done it since you were like 16…So, of course, it would be easy for you just to do…B-But for me, never done it before. I guess I remembered what you said earlier about just trying it if I wanted to know. A-And I hope you don't mind if I used your naked and alertness as an image…I've…Never seen it outside of the 5-minute video you showed us. I-I don't know how to explain it…" she looked off to the side. "The water was just falling on you perfectly…I don't know; it was straight out of a fantasy I guess…"

"Huh," Hiccup sat on the edge of the bed now. "Well, I'm not mad. Kind of honored I was chosen as your fantasy image to masturbate to," he chuckled a little. "Didn't think what I did made that much an impression on you,"

"It did…Yo-You're big and have a really nice butt," Vera blushed furiously, but why lie.

"Okay, now I'm flattered and honored you used me as what you masturbated to. I-I personally don't think I'm that big, but maybe that's because I see it all the time soft and hard," Hiccup shrugged. "This…Might be inappropriate, and you don't have to answer but…H-How was it? Your first time that is?"

"I-I don't know…It felt good, but I didn't finish. Maybe I did something wrong," Vera admitted.

"There's no way to do it wrong, Ver. You just gotta find what you like that pushes you over the edge into pleasure," Hiccup stated.

"Would you help me?" Vera asked. Hiccup almost fell off the bed in shock of her very forward request.

"C-Come again?" Hiccup asked.

"Would you help me finish? I-I don't know what I'm doing, and I want to feel what it's like…You know how to do it," Vera blushed more.

"V-Ver…What works for me won't do the same for you. W-We have different parts…" Hiccup replied, trying to find his composure.

"But you know how to please a girl…" Vera countered. Okay, she had him there; he knew from times with Olivia. "A-And you said earlier that you'd only help the girls…" and she had him there too.

"V-Vera, that's not masturbation…That's foreplay. You know you're asking me to give you an orgasm, right?" Hiccup inquired. Vera nodded to him.

"Will you?" Vera questioned again. Hiccup stared at her now. "Please? I-I won't tell anyone…I just want to know what it feels like,"

"Well, I wouldn't care if you told anyone…I just don't want it becoming a request from the other girls that I help them too. I…Don't mind doing it for you, but not them," Hiccup muttered.

"Why me and not them?" Vera asked, now curious.

"I like you more than I like them, and you've never given me shit or teased me," Hiccup admitted. Vera blushed a bit as Hiccup sighed. "I'll do it, Ver…But you gotta be quiet. I don't think we want anyone walking in on this,"

"Agreed," Vera nodded. Hiccup got up and closed the door all the way, locking it from the inside.

"So what do you want me to do to you?" Hiccup inquired.

"What, uh, what is there to do?" Vera asked softly.

"I could rub or finger you…I could eat you out…You remember what all that is, right?" Hiccup asked. Vera nodded to him. "So, what will it be?"

"Um," Vera looked down a little, blushing and smiling a little. "I-I'm kind'a curious about all of them. I-If you don't mind?"

"Hey, it's whatever you want. I'm doing this for you," Hiccup informed calmly. "I'll give a little of it all, b-but no sex. I stated earlier where I stand on that,"

"I don't think I'm quite ready for that anyway. And, I agree with you about it should only be done between two people who love one another," Vera smiled. Hiccup returned the action. "So, what do I have to do?"

"Just…Take your pants and underwear off, then lay back," Hiccup instructed. Vera got them both off and laid back slowly as Hiccup got on the bed, sitting back on his knees while gently pushing her legs apart as Vera tried to control her pounding heart. "Nervous?"

"A little," Vera confessed.

Hiccup smiled. "Don't be," he said lightly. "I won't hurt you, and you're in good hands," Somehow, that made Vera feel completely assured. Vera nodded to him to go ahead as Hiccup brought his hand to her pussy and began massaging the outside up and down the lips. "You're already wet,"

Vera blushed like a tomato. "Sh-Shut up…"

"Hey, it's a good thing. Means you like it, just let your body react however it does; don't fight it," Hiccup mentioned as he began to pick up a little speed and force.

"Mm…F-Feels good," Vera moaned some, closing her eyes. Hiccup adjusted his hand and began rubbing the area just above her clit; this caused Vera to twitch a bit. "Ah," she gasped out. Hiccup spread her lips apart, using his thumb to massage her clit in a small circle. "Gods!" she quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

"Oh, you really like clitoral stimulation…Let's see what else," Hiccup chuckled a bit as he slid his hand down and his index finger teased her entrance. "Ready?" Vera nodded to him. Hiccup slipped his finger in, and Vera arched her back a little, trying to make sure she didn't moan loudly. "You alright?"

"Y-Yes," Vera replied. Hiccup started pumping his finger slowly. "Mmm…Hiccup…" she moaned softly. Gods, it was a different feeling altogether from when she was touching herself. Hiccup started moving his finger a bit faster and harder. "M-More…" she had no idea where the words came from, but Hiccup was happy to oblige her by stopping his movements a bit to insert a second finger. "Gods…Yes…" Vera threw her head back, gripping at the bed at but. Hiccup went faster and harder with his fingers while adjusting his body to be laying down between her legs with his face her pussy.

Hiccup stopped pumping his fingers after a few seconds as he pulled them out and wrapped his arms around her legs and got in close. Hiccup took in her scent before moving in slowly to start licking up and down her pussy. Vera tensed. "Easy…I'm just eating you out…" Hiccup assured before going back in; he licked up and down, teasing her clit a little, and tonguing her core entrance.

"Hiccup…Gods…" Vera panted. Hearing her moan his name was getting him hard again. Hiccup moved a hand to get his pajama pants and boxers pushed down and out of the way. "What are…you doing?" she asked.

"I'm hard again…Hearing you moan my name is getting me turned on," Hiccup admitted to her. Hiccup moved to the side of Vera, but his head still at her pussy while on his knees and legs spread to stroke himself. Vera blushed a little; she didn't know she was having that kind of an effect on him, but it made her happy too. Hiccup went right into eating her out again, licking at her clit which Vera loved. Hiccup kept bringing his hand back and forth on his cock, moaning softly. Hiccup used his other hand to slip two fingers in again.

"Oh! Yes…Hiccup! It feels so good…Mm!" Vera moaned.

"Fuck yeah it does," Hiccup groaned as he started moving his fingers faster and harder, stroking himself at the same pace. "Ugh…Damn it; it's unreal how badly I want to fuck you right now…" Vera was surprised to hear that. Of course, she wanted to know what it was like, but was that a good idea? Hiccup said he wouldn't do that with someone unless he cared and loved them. Is that Hiccup felt about her? Maybe he did, but no; this wasn't the right way to go about admitting feelings. Not out of pleasure.

"That's probably because you haven't had sex in a couple months…" Vera reminded.

"Yep," Hiccup replied as he moved and fixed himself between her legs to get a better angle to finger her with. "You ready to see what an orgasm feels like?" he asked while fingering her and stroking himself. Vera nodded to him. Hiccup began moving his fingers harder and faster.

"Gods…Hiccup, yes!" Vera moaned, panting. She felt something; she didn't know what it was other than it was a huge build up of pleasure.

"Come on…Let it out," Hiccup coaxed as he pushed his fingers in deeper and curved them upward to stroke her G-Spot.

"Hi-Hiccup…I-I'm gonna…" Vera arched, gripping the bed as it happened. Whatever she had felt released in a massive wave a pleasure that coursed through her body. Her core tightened on Hiccup's fingers; it contracted quickly as she felt something squirt out of her. Vera breathed heavily, her heart beating fast in her chest. Hiccup pulled his fingers from her slowly, lifting them up and showing her that they were dripping with her juices. "I-I did that?"

"That was you cumming, yes. Some girls just feel that build of pleasure releasing, but some girls do what you did…Squirting; it means the orgasm was better than what it would have been if you didn't squirt," Hiccup smiled some as he stroked himself with the hand that was wet now. Vera sat up, watching.

"C-Can I help you? I-I know you said you don't need it but…A-After what you did for me…" Vera trailed off.

"If you want to, I won't stop you," Hiccup said. "I'm close anyway,"

"Do I…Just do what you're doing?" Vera asked.

"Give me your hand," Hiccup informed as Vera did so. Hiccup set it around his cock at a comfortable angle for her arm and wrist. Vera watched as Hiccup moved her hand accordingly. "That's…All you have to do…" Vera started moving her hand on her own as Hiccup let go of her and sat back a little. "Fuck…" Hiccup breathed out. "Oh, that's perfect…" he encouraged. "J-Just move a little faster, and tighten your grip a bit…" Vera did so, quickly looking at him.

"L-Like that?" Vera hoped.

Hiccup managed a nod. "Mmhm…Y-You got it…" Vera continued as Hiccup's breathing was starting to pick up just like in the shower earlier. "Gods, yes…Ver…" he moaned. "Faster…" Vera picked up a little speed, bringing her hand all the way up and down, plus over the head. "O-Oh, yeah…That's a good girl…Just like that…" Hiccup panted. "Fuck, yes…Just like that, Ver…Don't stop…" Vera felt his length twitch a bit. "G-Gods…I-I'm cumming!" he stated as Vera ended up looking down at his cock in her hand while she was stroking him to see Hiccup cum fast and hard; it went up and dribbled down his length and her hand. Vera slowed down a little as Hiccup finished, and then she removed her hand. "Odin above…" he breathed out.

"I-I did well?" Vera inquired.

"It's gonna be weird to say…But damn it; it's the truth…That was better than Olivia ever gave me," Hiccup confessed, which made Vera blush. "And she used to suck and stroke, but it was never the amazing feeling you just gave me,"

"I-I'm glad," Vera replied. "U-Um…What do I do about this?" she showed her hand.

"Oh, shit…Right. Uh…Just use a towel over there," Hiccup pointed. Vera got off the bed and cleaned the wetness of her womanhood and legs, then finally her hand. "Toss it here," Vera did so as Hiccup cleaned himself; the fixed his boxers and pants. Vera got her pants and underwear back on as well. "I should…Get to bed,"

"Yeah, you have training tomorrow morning…And it's like 10:45 right now. Thanks again for tonight, Hiccup," Vera said gently.

"Any time," Hiccup replied as he exited the room and reached the couch. Hiccup laid down and relaxed; tonight was frigging amazing. Hiccup finally closed his eyes and fell asleep. Inside, the room Vera curled up under the sheets and giggled a little before she too knocked out knowing that she had definitely been in good hands tonight.


	40. Won't Stand Alone

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Won't Stand Alone

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 4/6/2018-4:50 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Hiccup didn't think he was so tired when he went to bed at 11 pm last night, but here he was; fast asleep on the couch. The Vikings, shockingly, were up for 4 am and ready at 4:30, but Hiccup was still out. And they knew by the clock on the wall that Hiccup usually leaves to get to the base on time at 4:30 am; it was now 10 minutes of 5 am.

"Should we wake him up?" Astrid asked.

"Hiccup hates getting woken up," Fishlegs reminded. "He's gonna get mad,"

"Well, he's gonna be furious if we were up on time and he ends up late because we didn't wake him up, so who wants to do it?" Heather looked around; they kept peering at one another.

"Oh, move over," Vera pushed past them and knelt down next to the couch. Vera tapped Hiccup twice. "Hiccup…Hiccup…" she tried. Nothing. Hiccup didn't even budge. Vera shook him a little now. "Hiccup!" she called louder. This time, punched him hard. "HICCUP!"

"OW!" Hiccup sat up on the couch quickly. "What the fuck was that for?"

"Hiccup, it's almost 5 am…" Vera informed. Hiccup's face changed to confusion.

"What?" Hiccup inquired now.

"It's 10 minutes to 5 am," Vera repeated. Hiccup quickly leaned on his side to get his phone and see the time; _**4:53 am**_.

"Shit…" Hiccup said quickly as he threw the covers off and stood up quickly. "Damn it; I never turned the alarm on! Why didn't anyone wake me up sooner! I'm never gonna get to the base by 5 am…Fuck, Colden is gonna have my ass doing PT all day because I can't even blame you this time…"

"You get mad if we wake you up!" Brenna reminded.

"Not when it's for drill! If I ever sleep past 4:15 am, wake me up!" Hiccup hurried into his room and pulled on his pants, undershirt, belt, and jacket. Hiccup started lacing up his boots and grabbing his hat.

"You'll make it, won't you?" Vera asked.

"No chance. I have 5 minutes to get there…It takes at least 18 driving…" Hiccup groaned as he grabbed his bag.

"What if you fly?" Gobber tried quickly.

"On Toothless; I can make it, but I have no way to get you there," Hiccup stated.

"Then don't bring us. Hiccup, we'll be fine here for a couple of days. We can call Henrik or something if we need help. You go that way you don't get you get in trouble," Vera ushered him. "Go, go; you're wasting time!"

Hiccup couldn't even fight it; it was his only chance. "Do not destroy my house, and Henrik or Mari will be here by 8 am…" Hiccup warned as he whistled for his Night Fury, who rushed over.

"We're good, just go!" Vera smiled.

"I owe you for this and waking me up. Thanks," Hiccup kissed her cheek, hopped on Toothless and was gone through the garage door seconds later. Vera stood there, blinking a bit and having a hand on the place Hiccup kissed.

"Vera…Hey, Ver?" Camicazi waved her hand in front of Vera's face.

"I think he broke her," Ruffnut snickered. Vera snapped out of it and looked at them.

"Not broken, just surprised me is all," Vera stated.

"When you gonna tell him?" Soren wondered. "You can't even hide it anymore,"

"And it seems like he likes you. Nobody else got a thank you or kiss on the cheek," Astrid added. Vera glared at them.

"Butt out…As we don't have to leave now; I'm going back to bed," Vera returned to Hiccup's room and closed the door.

"Anyone notice that she instantly went to Hiccup's room as opposed to where we're all staying?" Thuggory inquired.

"She's in there cuz she's sick," Signy reminded.

"No, she told us when we all got up that she felt 100% better, so why go right back to Hiccup's room?" Dagur informed. "Besides all that; I came out here to use the bathroom around 10 pm, Hiccup wasn't on the couch,"

"I came out at 10:30, and he wasn't on the couch then either," Eret added, and I heard Hiccup in the bedroom talking to Vera. I couldn't make out everything of what they were saying,"

"When I was out here, I heard the shower in Hiccup's room going," Dagur informed.

"What did you hear, Eret?" Stoick asked.

"Not much. Vera saying Hiccup had a nice butt, she asked him to help her, him liking her more than us, and…I swear I heard Hiccup tell her she had to be quiet, so we wouldn't wake up and walk in…" Eret shrugged.

"For your information, all of that was because my tired ass woke up to use the bathroom and walked in on Hiccup showering…I saw his ass by accident and quickly left the room after apologizing," Vera stated, leaning against the door frame. "He has a nice butt, just my opinion,"

"What was everything else then? Cause it sounds like you two were trying to be sneaky and do something you don't want us knowing about," Viggo asked.

"Don't worry about it, Uncle Viggo," Vera said.

"Vera…Your parents will kill me if I'm allowing you to do things you shouldn't. What were you and Hiccup doing in the bedroom?" Viggo demanded.

"Nothing," Vera informed with a neutral look in her eyes. "He came in to say sorry for not locking the bathroom door, or telling me he would be in there, so he felt bad for anything I ended up seeing. I only saw his butt and for half of a second. I told him I thought it looked nice. My bra got stuck and wouldn't unhook, so I asked if he'd get it for me. Then we just kind of talked for a little bit until Hiccup realized he needed to get to sleep because he has drill. The being quiet bit was because he made me laugh and didn't want everyone waking up and seeing his hands up the back of my shirt to take the bra off. He figured you'd assume we were doing something; looks like he was right," she informed flatly.

"And the he likes you more than us bit?" Alvin pushed.

"That was because I told him I felt sorry that he had to help me with my bra, and I made a comment that it was nice to know he helps us even if the situation is awkward. Hiccup said he was only doing it for me because he likes me more than any of you since I never give him shit about stuff," Vera shrugged. "Now, good night for a few more hours," she re-entered Hiccup's room. "Oh, and I'll be nice and not tell Hiccup you were eavesdropping because you know he'll be pissed," then she closed the door.

"Does anyone else get the distinct feeling she's lying to cover up something else?" Heather asked.

"You mean like maybe she saw a lot more of Hiccup than she expected in the shower?" Tuffnut and Ruffnut chuckled together.

Viggo grumbled. "Face facts, Chief Viggo…Your niece is in love with Hiccup; it's not just a _crush_ or _like_. And I think Hiccup feels the same way about her," Gobber remarked.

"What makes you say that?" Stoick inquired to his friend.

"You mean besides that fact he's nicer to her than the rest of us?" Brenna giggled.

"It's his body language, how they act around one another. Why would Hiccup go back into the room to make sure she was okay after seeing him? Why would she ask him to help her with her bra? Why would he kiss her cheek and thank you when it was our idea to wake him up in the first place? Why would Hiccup stay up late when he knew he had drill. Also…I think the day Hiccup had Brynjar watch us; he went to talk to Henrik about his feelings," Dagur mentioned.

"You can prove that?" Viggo asked.

"When Brynjar turned Hiccup, so their backs were to us, I was on the side and saw Brynjar ask Hiccup if it was about Vera, and Hiccup tensed up. And one thing I caught Brynjar say to Hiccup before he left was telling Hiccup he hadn't seen him this happy since before what his ex-wife did. Is that not the same thing Brynjar told Vera when we cornered her about liking Hiccup. Also, Brynjar told Hiccup not to be afraid to feel something for someone else because it means he's recovering from what Olivia did. Hiccup said that he knew he felt something for Vera; he just didn't know what. So I think he went to Henrik about it and maybe things are a little more clear for him," Dagur explained.

"It's only a matter of time before neither of them can fight it anymore," Fishlegs agreed. "It's still none of our business,"

"Guess we sit back and wait to see what happens. Maybe if Hiccup gets with Vera…He'll come back to the Archipelago, so this could be a good thing," Signy stated.

"He said he'd never go back," Snotlout reminded.

"But he did, Snotlout. Even if it was just for a day because of what happened…Hiccup still came back to help us, and he chose to do it. Hiccup told us that before Vera got sick. He was ordered to the Archipelago, but nobody made him come back on the island," Astrid crossed her arms over her chest. "Signy is right. If Hiccup and Vera get together; he might decide to come back permanently, embrace his role as an Heir and become the Chief with her as Chieftess,"

"One can hope," Stoick sighed.

Inside Hiccup's room, Vera had heard everything and it did make her wonder if Hiccup loved her. Maybe that's why he said last night that he wanted to have sex with her? Hiccup said he'd only do that with someone he loved, so why would he want it with her if not because he felt something for her? Vera wanted to he with Hiccup, but how did she know when the best time to tell him her feelings? It didn't matter for the next 3 days since Hiccup was at drill, but Vera could use this time to think about how to go about all this.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Sunday, 4/8/2018-4:30 pm]**_

Henrik had come by at 8 am on Friday morning just as Hiccup said. Henrik wasn't there all the time, but he did check in every few hours. Now, it was Sunday and Hiccup should be home by 7:30 pm, so only 3 hours to go. Currently, the Vikings were by themselves wondering how to kill a little time. They decided to clean the whole house and do laundry for themselves. Vera washed and dried the bed stuff since when she on Thursday night; it got the bed wet. The Vikings were going to make dinner in a bit when Henrik came over with Mari and the Anderson kids, as far as the Vikings knew; Henrik was on his way with his family.

"We're here!" Britta announced cheerfully.

"Hi," Brenna greeted.

"House looks good," Henrik nodded.

"We figured we could clean it for Hiccup," Fishlegs smiled.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it," Mari replied. Before anyone could say anything else; the garage door opened as Brynjar, Jolgeir, Oivind, Davyn, Sigvard, and Eirik walked in.

"Where's Hiccup?" Lukas wondered.

"He should be here soon; last-minute meeting, but he said we could all hang out," Sigvard stated.

"How was training, boys?" Mari wondered.

"Busy…" Eirik sighed.

"2 hours of PT every morning. Lat breakfast, infiltration scenarios, raid and capture, hand to hand fighting, gun practice…Oh, and then there's all the inventory and moving of stuff," Davyn mumbled.

"Moving stuff?" Lilly inquired.

"Yeah, boxes upon boxes of stuff," Jolgeri groaned. "So sore…"

"And we were up all night on top of it," Oivind added.

"Not to mention Hiccup being sick, so he's ridiculously tired, sore, and grumpy…" Brynjar jumped in.

"He's sick again?" Stoick asked.

"Just a cold this time," Eirik mentioned.

"Started Saturday night; he said he felt tired. A couple of hours later; all stuffy and runny. Around 6 am, sore throat and headache," Brynjar sighed.

"Anything else since then?" Henrik questioned.

"Not really," Sigvard shook his head.

"How about when you left?" Vera wondered lightly. Hiccup spent all that time in his room with her on Thursday night. Had he gotten sick from being in the place she had been sick all week? Oh, she'd feel awful if he got sick because of her.

"Congestion gave him some problems during PT; he couldn't handle the exercises, and Kongur sent him to the medic around 11 am. We...Actually haven't seen him since. Colden told us Hiccup be along later because there was a meeting. But...Hiccup's been miserable all day," Brynjar stated.

"He probably got sick because of Vera," Camicazi stated. "She's been sick all last week with a cold,"

"Very possible," Britta nodded.

"Actually, no; it wouldn't be unless Hiccup was in close contact with her," Mari informed. "If the cold had spread; the others would be sick too,"

"Hiccup made Vera stay in his room," Heather interjected.

"With him?" Henrik blinked.

"No, he slept on the couch," Vera said quickly.

"Except for Thursday night when he was in there for an hour with you," Thuggory reminded.

"What's all this about now?" Henrik asked.

"Nothing!" Vera mentioned instantly. "Nothing at all," Henrik knew that was a lie, but left it alone. Before anything else was said; Toothless landed in the backyard as Hiccup climbed off his back slowly.

"Colden, I do not care!" Hiccup yelled with the phone to his ear. "You can't send just graduated BCT and AIT soldiers on an infiltration and reconnaissance mission that is meant for someone who has been in at least 5 years and SO trained!" a pause. "Then convince them otherwise! You're sending those soldiers to their deaths; they'll never make it out on their own. They lack the necessary skill and training," he yelled as his voice went a little higher-pitched than normal. "My suggestion? Fucking send me," a few sets of eyes widened.

" _Are you crazy?! HQ will never send your team to do this; the six of you are just as untrained for it,"_ Colden's voice was heard now; Hiccup must have hit speakerphone by accident.

"Maybe they are, but I'm not…" Hiccup replied. "I didn't say to send my team; I said send me,"

" _Lieutenant Haddock; that is incredibly dangerous and stupid!"_ sounded Askel's voice now. _"We do not send soldiers out by themselves; you have no backup and no escape,"_

"Then let me go with Toothless. He's all I need for this; who is gonna challenge a Night Fury…Come on; Toothless and I have gotten out of worse situations. And like hell you don't send soldiers out alone! Don't even go there with me! Or should I remind you about Iraq?" Hiccup snapped; his voice was starting to go in and out. "I risked my ass for you,"

" _Hiccup; you're an exceptional soldier…But I just don't think this is a good idea. We know nothing about these new enemies…There's too much uncertainty in sending you with your dragon…"_ Askel informed now.

"All due your respect, Major General Olsen…You're never gonna know if you aren't willing to take risks and try something a little out of the box," Hiccup stated. "I'm trained for everything higher than level 5! While HQ sits there with their thumbs up their asses deciding if they should send newbies to their deaths; our enemies continue to grow in numbers, and we're still clueless on who, location, and intention,"

" _But sending you alone is suicide,"_ Colden sighed. _"You need to let us handle this, and go get some rest. You're beginning to lose your voice,"_

"That's a risk I'm willing to take for the safety of my home. Alright? Knowing is half the battle, so why wait around for an attack? We need to know what's happening, and I'm offering to do it. How do you suppose we defend it if we know nothing? I tell the Vikings this all the time; you can't fight an enemy you don't know about. It's sad I have to tell you the same thing," this made the Viking's eyes widen. "The Archipelago is my home. Okay? It's not just part of Denmark and a place we protect as soldiers. The Archipelago is where I'm from; where I grew up. That is always going to be home to me despite how much I said I hated it. Someone reminded me who I am and that it's part of me no matter what I do, so I've chosen to embrace it," Hiccup's eyes fell on Vera as she blushed a little. "The Barbaric Archipelago is my home, and I'm not going to let it fall and become another war zone in the world just because you're scared of a little danger and uncertainty,"

" _Hiccup…"_ Colden and Askel said.

"Sorry gentleman…But I'm not going to sit back and let you purposely endanger the Tribes when this can be stopped before it starts. And I can say, my people, because I'm the firstborn son to the Chief of Berk and Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. But instead of protecting my island…I'll protect all of them with just Toothless and Lightheart alone if I have to. And if you won't let me stop it as a soldier of Denmark; I'll defend the islands as a Viking of the Archipelago,"

" _He's absolutely right, Major General. This hasn't started yet, and if we act quickly; we can stop it and save the lives of the civilians…And our service members,"_ Colden stated firmly. _"I agree with Haddock, and if he goes through with defending his home as a Viking; I will stand with him,"_

"So will we," Brynjar stepped forward with Strike Unit.

"As will I," Henrik added.

" _Alright, easy boys…And Henrik…You're retired,"_ Askel sighed.

"Do you think I care? Hiccup is right, and he's willing to stand alone to fight for what he believes in, but I will stand with him and fight for what's right and freedom. Just because I'm not a soldier anymore doesn't mean I'll stop protecting the people I love," Henrik remarked.

"These enemies pose a threat to everyone, who is to say they stop with the Archipelago?" Sigvard informed. "I say we stop it before it starts,"

"Us too," Oivind, Davyn, Jolgeir, and Eirik agreed.

" _I will speak with headquarters,"_ Askel stated. _"Haddock, if they agree; you better be ready to take on the biggest operation of your life as an SOS, but know that we will stand with you,"_

"What?...He's a what?!" the soldiers and Henrik asked.

" _Well…Guess the cat is out of the bag now,"_ Colden chuckled. _"Good going, Askel. We'll be going now; you know the rules, Lieutenant. Don't go into detail, just the basics. And do try to rest up; you sound awful,"_

"Sir, yes sir," Hiccup replied as he hung up and put his phone in his pocket. "What?" he asked them.

"YOU'RE A _WHAT_?!" Henrik, Jolgeir, Sigvard, Oivind, Davyn, and Eirik shouted at Hiccup as he nervously rubbed the back of his head, laughing a little. So his secret was out, and he didn't even say anything. Sure, there would be a lot of explaining to do now but pushing that aside; Hiccup knew that he had people standing by him, and that meant more than words would ever say.


	41. We're A Thing

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

We're A Thing

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 4/6/2018-5:20 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

At first, nobody knew what to make of the conversation Hiccup was having with Askel and Colden, but it became clear as Hiccup was talking, and had accidentally put the phone on speaker. After Hiccup's very heartfelt words about protecting the Archipelago; Askel revealed something he really wasn't supposed to. Askel said that Hiccup was an SOS, which made sense to 7 people out of 33, and boy, those 7 were not expecting to find out. Now, the room was quiet, the 7 males staring at Hiccup in utter shock.

"Hiccup?" Henrik asked.

"You're an SOS?" Sigvard finished the question. Hiccup nodded to them.

"Oh, my God!" Oivind yelled.

"Why didn't you say something?!" Davyn glared.

"I wasn't allowed to," Hiccup replied.

"Wait…That thing Colden said was ordered by HQ for us not to know…This is that?" Brynjar inquired. Hiccup nodded again.

"Dude, this is huge!" Jolgeir informed.

"You have no idea how badly I wanted to tell you…" Hiccup sighed. "You're still not even supposed to no…So not a word to anyone else, got it?"

"Okay, yeah, sure. But what the fuck!" Eirik motioned with his hands. "You're a frigging SOS!"

"How long?" Henrik stepped forward now. "I know that training can take years depending on what you specialize in,"

"I, uh…I graduated as a SOS halfway through the Iraq tour…I'd been working on it since after basic…" Hiccup confessed.

"Is that what all your studying and late night stuff was about when you said you couldn't sleep?" Brynjar questioned.

"Yeah…It was…Just to get out of the barrack to go to training…" Hiccup stated.

"You've been an SOS since…Halfway through the Iraq tour was what…June 2016?" Sigvard checked.

"Mmhm," Hiccup nodded.

"How come we couldn't know about this? That's what I want to know," Davyn stared now. "It's not uncommon for people to join the Special Forces,"

"This is Special…Special Forces, people who excelled in every department of their Basic and Advanced Individual training. Those who always go above expectations scored the highest in their training…" Hiccup explained.

"But…Why couldn't we know?" Brynjar pushed.

"Safer for you not to know where I'm going or what I'm doing; that's what HQ believes anyway. As an example…Bryn, remember a couple of weeks ago when you stood here and told me that I better come back alive?" Hiccup asked. Brynjar nodded to him. "That's why. You knew nothing of what I was involved in, but you still begged me to come back alive when there was no word on if I was even leaving. It was just a meeting, and you got overly worried about me. Can you imagine what it's going to be like now that you do know?...Headquarters felt it was better for family and friends not to know, so we were ordered not to say anything,"

"But you said we'd know one day," Brynjar argued.

"Remember that other thing you said to me…About not wanting to learn because I ended up dying?" Hiccup looked off to the side.

"Oh, my gods! That is how we would have learned?" Mari screeched with anger and concern.

"That was supposed to be the only way, yes…But Askel went and opened his big mouth, so here we are," Hiccup mumbled.

"Don't you take that tone, young man! This is serious!" Mari yelled at him again. "I don't like this, Hiccup,"

"None of us do," Henrik remarked. "But it's clear that HQ saw that Hiccup was capable and more useful in bigger things due to scores and exceeding expectations in training. It's an honor and privilege to serve as Special Forces, so well done, son; I'm immensely proud of you,"

"You're okay with this?!" Mari faced her husband in shock.

"Can I just ask what is an SOS?" Vera wondered, cutting in and asking what all the Vikings were wondering.

"SOS stands for Special Operations Soldier; someone who goes on high priority missions to gather information, capture enemies, destroy bases, etc. It's extremely dangerous work, more dangerous than what we already do in the war," Brynjar informed. You know how Hiccup is the leader of the Strike Unit and Lightning Platoon inside Alpha Company?"

"Yeah…" they replied.

"Special Op Soldiers work in small groups and platoons as well. It means Hiccup's a member of both groups, but he does way more dangerous, life-risking stuff in the Special Forces. He goes out on normal stuff with us, but usually much later at night when we're off duty and sleeping; Hiccup leaves with Special Forces to do work with them," Oivind explained.

"Yeah, but I said I'm not normal Special Forces, guys. This one group of about 100 soldiers…Standard Special Ops don't run missions higher than 8…We do up to level 12…" Hiccup said.

"Le-Level 12?! Hiccup, that's like…" Sigvard began.

"I know what it is," Hiccup stated.

"I'm not following," Stoick stepped forward.

"Wait a second…" Brynjar put his hands up to make everyone be quiet. "Kongur said when you got promoted to Second Lieutenant; _for all you did in Iraq_. The biggest thing that happened was the operation that took out a main base ordering strikes against ours…We got told Special Forces infiltrated and took out the lead officer…Nothing else got released about who did it or lead the team…Wa-Was that you?"

"I…Cannot confirm or deny that I had any part in that," Hiccup stated calmly.

"You're reverting back to the kind of soldier who always follows orders…You only do that when you can't tell us something because you'll get in trouble. So you did have something to do with it…" Davyn pointed out.

"Hiccup, that was a huge operation; it had been going on for almost two years trying to find that target!" Eirik blinked, shocked.

"That…The whole thing gave the soldiers deployed and future deployed until it's over the upper hand in dominating over enemy forces! That operation is the reason so many people got to go home, and we're still holding the lead over enemies. You were in on all that?" Brynjar asked.

"I nearly died doing it…You should remember; you saved my life," Hiccup mumbled.

"Wait…Th-That was that mission? But…We got told about the victory over the base almost 3 months later; you mean it happened the night you came back from that guard which turned into a firefight and got called in to meet halfway because the leader was called in as a Code Alpha-Red?" Brynjar stared. Hiccup nodded. "Hang the hell on; you led that operation!?"

"If you look up the facts about that operation, you will find that it says; _DM-A Elite Special Forces, Dragonfire Team 1_ ," Hiccup stated. _"Led by Sergeant H. Anderson_ ," he added.

"You didn't use Haddock; that's why no one connected you," Henrik smiled.

"You have any idea how people would react to knowing?" Hiccup reminded. "It was best to hide it, and you can't go around talking about it either…No one is supposed to know except HQ and anyone who was involved,"

"You know we aren't gonna say anything…But shit, Haddock. Wow…" Jolgeir laughed. "That's awesome, nice work…"

"So, this thing we heard on the phone? That another major operation you can't tell us about?" Oivind wondered.

"Basically…" Hiccup shrugged. "You need not worry, so pretend you heard nothing,"

"Are you…Really going to go by yourself?" Vera asked softly with a little concern in her voice.

"I'd rather not, but if I must; I will," Hiccup replied. "Why? You worried about me?"

"Perhaps a little…" Vera admitted bashfully. Hiccup used his hand to lift her chin and smile a little as she blushed more.

"I don't do these things if I have any doubts I can't complete them. I'm doing this because I have the knowledge and skill it takes to navigate new enemies in familiar territory to me. Don't worry about me, Milady," Hiccup chuckled, but was calm. "I'll be okay. I know who I am and what I stand for thanks to you," he said gently as Vera blushed more.

"Still the smoothest fucking talker out of all 6 of us," Sigvard snickered with his friends.

"I hate it. He's sick with a cold, losing his voice, and still sounds sexy as shit," Jolgeir remarked.

"Damn…Hiccup; you really could have any woman you want," Davyn chuckled.

"Of course I can…" Hiccup said as Vera flinched a bit. Hiccup looked at her and smiled. "But I only want her if she'll have me,"

Everyone's mouths dropped open, and eyes widened at what Hiccup said. Hiccup just confessed to wanting to be with Vera! No hesitation, no doubts, no anything and it was straight out of the blue! Vera was entirely taken aback, but she and Hiccup had that same look in their eyes as they had from February drill when Vera reminded Hiccup that he was still a Viking even if didn't live among them anymore; it was his culture and part of who he was despite the fact he was different than the rest of them; it didn't change that he was a Viking.

"Y-You want me out of all the girls you could be with?" Vera asked.

"Out of all the girls I know or could choose from…None of them give me the feeling you do, Vera," Hiccup stated.

"I'm sure that's not true given how you felt for Olivia," Vera blushed a bit more.

"Doesn't compare," Hiccup replied as Vera's eyes widened. "I loved Olivia, yes…I loved her with everything I had and am. But I wasn't in love her with as I am with you,"

"Y-You're in love with me?" Vera asked, surprised.

"It took a while for Olivia and me to get to a love stage, a year in fact. You…No contest. I fell for you hard and fast when I didn't even think it was possible for me to feel anything other than the hurt of what Olivia did. But it happened, and I tried to fight it; I can't, and refuse to. Ver…What I feel for you…" Hiccup paused.

"Tell her, son. Tell her the same thing you told me," Henrik pushed him.

"I don't think about Olivia at all when I'm with you. I don't think about what we were, what we had…Good or bad times; the pain from what she did; I don't think or feel anything regarding her when I'm with you," Hiccup repeated. "What I feel for you is stronger than I ever felt for her. I stay up at night wondering why and how I ever loved her. With you in my life, Vera…It feels like everything with Olivia was just a bad dream. I regret everything with her. I want to be with you,"

Vera stared into his eyes a moment, then she smiled. "Well, then it's your lucky day…Because I'm in love with you too. Just kind'a happened one day, couldn't stop or fight it," Vera shrugged.

"Sometimes you just know who you're gonna spend the rest of your life with," Vera and Hiccup said at the same time, laughing afterward.

"Bit early to be thinkin' bout that," Gobber stated.

"You're the one who said they'd end up together!" the Vikings shouted at him. Hiccup and Vera blinked a bit, but then they laughed some more.

"Think we should ditch 'em?" Vera asked.

"Glad we're on the same page," Hiccup said. "Come on; I wanna show you something amazing that I see every night," Toothless came over on his own as Hiccup got on his back, offering his hand to Vera.

"I thought I couldn't ride a dragon yet?" Vera asked.

"Not your own, but you can ride with me. Besides…I make the rules remember?" Hiccup smiled. Vera took his hand as Hiccup set her in front of him. "Take us up," Toothless launched, and Lightheart followed.

"Well…That was unexpected," Mari blinked.

"They're in love, Mar; it's fine," Henrik chuckled. "I knew about this last week. Hiccup came to see me about his feelings; I helped him sort it out,"

"Hah! Knew it!" Dagur cheered.

"But is it a good idea, Henrik…It's only been a few months," Mari said softly.

"Doesn't matter how long or short the time has been," Brynjar stated. "What's important is that they're happy and allowing themselves to be instead of hiding in fear about all the what if's. Vera came into his life at the right time and has shown that she's not only a friend, but much more, and she healed his heart,"

"True," Mari nodded.

 **. . .**

 _ **[6 pm]  
**_ _[Sky]_

High above with Toothless and Lightheart, Vera took everything in; loving the feeling of flying. Vera relaxed against Hiccup, sighing out.

"This is amazing," Vera breathed out.

"I know, right?" Hiccup smiled. "S-So you're in love me?"

Vera nodded. "Just happened one day; it hit me, and I only held back because I didn't know if you felt the same, or weren't ready to move on,"

"I can't even remember where it started for me. I think it was February drill, what you said to me. I just felt something spark when our eyes met, and it's just continued to grow and rage within…I'm sorry for springing the confession on you down there. It just…I don't know; it felt right to speak up," Hiccup admitted.

"I'm…Glad you did. Who knows how much longer we could have gone without saying something…" Vera laughed a little.

"True that…" Hiccup agreed. "So what now? Do you…Want to be with me, a-as my girlfriend?" he asked a bit nervously.

"I'd like that, Hiccup, and honored to carry that title," Vera smiled. "We're not…Doing things the Viking way where we get engaged and married within 3 months are we?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I'm ready to move on with someone else…But I don't know about the marriage thing just yet. Eventually, with time, ya know?"

"I understand. I think we could use a little time to…Get used to things. You're still recovering, obviously, and I'm new to all of this," Vera blushed some.

"Don't worry; it comes pretty easy once the feelings are out in the open. Relationships are built on the foundation of trust, honesty, feelings, and communication. As long as we have that, we're gonna be fine," Hiccup smiled.

"A-Are we…Going to be having sex?" Vera wondered.

"I mean, probably at some point or another, but we don't have to until you're ready. And maybe me too; last time was with Olivia and…Well, yeah; all that happened. Not sure if I'm ready to go all the way again, not yet anyway…" Hiccup answered.

"Hey, I can respect that. We still got foreplay," Vera said casually as Hiccup blinked a bit, leaning back and looking at her. "I-If you want to that is…I know I enjoyed it, and I know you did too. I-I wouldn't mind doing it again now and then," she shrugged.

"Huh…You're an adventurous little thing, aren't you?" Hiccup asked. Vera blushed more but nodded to him. "I'm totally okay with this," he added. "What are we gonna do about the living situation…Eventually, you'll go back to the islands," he asked; it needed to be discussed.

"You know…Let's not worry about it right now. I think that in time; things will just work themselves out," Vera stated.

"Seriously…You're frigging amazing…" Hiccup said.

"So, what did you want to show me up here?" Vera replied.

"Hang on tight, Princess. I'm gonna show you a whole new world," Hiccup smiled. "Let's go, bud,"

 **. . .**

 _ **[6:30 pm]  
**_ _[Haddock Home]_

Toothless let Lightheart in first, then he came in behind her as Hiccup got off Toothless and helped Vera down.

"Oh, my Gods! That was incredible! You see that every night?!" Vera exclaimed.

"Unless I'm deployed, yeah," Hiccup nodded.

"It was breath-taking…" Vera sighed out.

"The flying or the Northern Lights?" Hiccup chuckled.

"BOTH!" Vera giggled.

"How were you able to see the lights?" Brynjar blinked.

"Ever fly past the cloud cover at sunset?" Hiccup asked. Brynjar shook his head. "That's why you don't see it," he smiled.

"So, can we still do the thing?" Vera asked.

"What thing?" a few wondered.

"Oh, I suppose," Hiccup stated. "I did promise you a dance under the stars," he added while moving over to a lever and pulling it down as the roof opened up revealing the night sky. "May I have this dance, Milady?" he asked, offering his hand and a bow.

"I'd be honored," Vera placed her hand in his as Hiccup pulled her against him and began dancing just as the music started; it was a slow song, and talking about two people in love. After it was over a few minutes later and the music was beginning to taper off; their eyes locked onto one another.

"He's gonna kiss her," Britta said excitedly.

"Oh, come on…No, he won't. It's…Far too early for such a thing," Viggo said quickly.

"Not around here it's not," Lilly, Mari and Britta giggled.

"I love you," Vera said gently.

"I love you too," Hiccup responded before leaning in, both of their eyes closed as he placed his lips on hers in a passionate kiss.

"Oh my," a few of the Viking girls blinked.

"Well, I guess Hiccup's off the market," Heather chuckled.

"You weren't getting him anyway," Dagur huffed.

"Neither were you," Soren remarked to his younger cousin, Signy.

"If Vera hadn't taken him; I would have," Camicazi grinned.

"Sad to say it, but so would I have," Astrid added. "I'd love to get my hands on the nice ass of his Vera mentioned,"

And that was the comment that broke the kiss as Hiccup, and Vera quickly looked over at them. "Are you kidding me?" Hiccup asked.

"What? Vera told us she got to see your butt and thought it was nice," Heather giggled.

"Well, yeah, I know. I was there when it happened…Still, really? You all wanted me?" Hiccup stared.

"Face it, Hiccup…You might still be lean-figured, but you're frigging hot…" Ruffnut said.

"You know…I'm not even going to comment on that. It would never have happened anyway…I'm with Vera because she loves me for me…Not my body," Hiccup mumbled as Vera held his hand and smiled; Hiccup returned it before turned his head and started coughing; then it became a lot more.

"Hiccup? Are you okay?" Vera asked quickly.

"Yeah…M'fine…" Hiccup groaned.

"You're sick," Mari crossed her arms over her chest. "Go rest,"

"Mom, I'm good," Hiccup countered.

"I don't believe I recall asking your opinion on the matter, young man. I said; _go rest_ ," Mari stated again, a firmer tone this time.

"B-But Mom…Come on; I'm 22 years old…You can't make me-," Hiccup started.

Mari glared. "HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK-ANDERSON THE THIRD; Room, bed, rest, NOW!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Hiccup kissed Vera's cheek and quickly got into his bedroom.

"Tell me no, who does he think he is…" Mari grumbled.

"Darling…He is an adult, and he just got a girlfriend; you could have let him-," Henrik began.

Mari's brows raise as a fire burning in her eyes was seen. "I don't care if he's the king; when I say something, I expect it done with no arguments. He's sick; he needs to rest," she huffed. "And who do you think you are, challenging me?"

Henrik shut his mouth. "Sorry, ma'am," he put his head down.

"That's what I thought…" Mari made a _hmph_ noise.

"Rules with an iron fist," the Anderson kids giggled.

"Now, it's time to leave. You boys as well," Mari said, referring to Brynjar and the males of Strike Unit.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" the 6 of them said, quickly hurrying out before they got yelled at next.

"Vera, dear; you think you can take care of him? If not, I'll stay," Mari smiled.

"I think I have it, Mrs. Anderson," Vera bowed her head to Mari as the Anderson family left. Hiccup poked his head out.

"Is it safe?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"You're good, Hiccup…But she is right; you should rest. Maybe a hot shower; I can make you soup, then you can rest?" Vera tried.

"Well, since you asked nicely…Sure," Hiccup replied. "You gonna walk in on me again?" he teased.

"It was an accident!" Vera whined.

"Hey, easy…I'm teasing, babe. For the record though, I wouldn't mind the company," Hiccup winked before disappearing behind the door again. Vera blushed furiously, contemplating how to get him back for that.

"So…You two a thing?" Eret asked.

Vera smiled. "Yeah…We're a thing," She couldn't believe it; she was Hiccup's girlfriend!


	42. More In Love With You

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

More In Love With You

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Tuesday, 4/10/2018-9:45 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

It was still the highlight of the new year, 2018, to see Hiccup and Vera confess their feelings for one another; then begin a relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend. The Vikings were especially surprised to see such a thing happy as they knew Hiccup was deeply hurt by what Olivia did, cheating and lying about a child Hiccup had thought was theirs. However, while it had been made public knowledge by Vera that she liked Hiccup and Brynjar stated it was possible Hiccup liked Vera back; nobody would have imagined that Hiccup had fallen so hard and fast in love with Vera in such a short time. Also, it was pleasantly shocking to find out from Vera that she didn't just like Hiccup; she was in love with him too. So now, Hiccup and Vera were together, dating, and had been for 2 days. Unfortunately, not much had been going on there since Hiccup was also sick with the same cold Vera had the week before. Poor Hiccup has been in his room for the last few days, but he came out sometimes to make sure everyone was good and didn't need anything.

Dane's final trial was happening today. Hopefully after this; he'd be found guilty on all charges and sentenced to prison for a good, long amount of time. Hiccup wanted to be there for Katja, but he was sick, so it was best to stay back so Katja and her family members wouldn't get sick. Especially Katja since she was pregnant, and giving birth at the end of June; her due date was the 30th. Dagny was in daycare because Katja didn't want her daughter in the courtroom, which was totally understandable. Olivia had been keeping her distance, but she was due to have her baby soon too; if Hiccup recalled how far along she was the day he left her in November, Olivia was now about 35 weeks into her pregnancy. The last Hiccup had heard; Olivia was living with her parents again. Other than that, not much else had been happening. At the moment, the Vikings were sitting in the living room watching TV with their breakfast; Hiccup finally trusted them enough to handle it on their own.

Of course, their attention was taken when Hiccup's bedroom door opened, and he walked out tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"Morning, Hiccup," Vera greeted first with a smile.

"Hey, babe," Hiccup sniffled a bit; his voice beginning to go fade.

"How do you feel?" Vera wondered.

"Like my body was hit with a truck…" Hiccup grumbled some.

"You poor thing," Brenna frowned. "Hungry?"

"Not at the moment. I can't eat as soon as I get up," Hiccup informed calmly.

"Why not? It's the most important meal of the day; you told us that yourself," Snotlout stated.

"And it is. But I can't eat right away; I end up feeling sick…Well, sicker," Hiccup replied. "I'll eat in 10 or so minutes after I wake up more," he yawned while going to get his coffee ready. Hiccup sat down at the table where the others were and relaxed while taking a few sips. "Oh, much better," he said as his voice seemed to return to normal. Hiccup checked the time on his phone, answering messages from the night before. However, it started ringing as he slid the icon to green and tapped the speaker. "What's up, Bryn?"

" _You get my message yet?"_ Brynjar asked.

"Just woke up and started getting to them. I thought you were in court with Kat, Kelda, and Brenden?" Hiccup replied.

" _Session starts at 10 am. Anyway…Your ex is here,"_ Brynjar stated.

Hiccup blinked. "What the hell is she doing there?"

" _Katja's lawyer said it's because she's being used as a witness to defend him,"_ Brynjar explained.

"Defend what? I got 25 people who saw how Katja looked after what he did. And what about Dagny; she told the cops what happened?" Hiccup asked.

" _Dag is too young to stand trial against her father; her statement was thrown out last time. Dane is trying to play that Katja is just emotional and had gotten mugged, but confusing him with her attacker. And Olivia is being used to state that Dane never hurt her,"_ Brynjar informed.

"That manipulative little-Wait…Nothing she says can be trusted. Tell the lawyer that; tell him that Dane is a manipulator and even got Olivia to lie to her now ex-husband about cheating and having Dane's baby, that Dane told her to say it was mine. Anything Olivia says will get thrown out because the jury will think Dane is forcing her to lie to them on the stand. She'll get removed as a witness," Hiccup stated firmly.

" _Hiccup, you're a fucking genius! Kat, where's your lawyer…Hiccup just reminded me of something that will ensure we win and Dane is locked up for a long time…Thanks, little brother!"_ Brynjar said quickly.

"Glad I could help. Let me know how it goes," Hiccup chuckled as the call ended.

"You can do that?" Stoick asked.

"What? Get a witness's testimony thrown out based on the fact they are known liars? Absolutely if you know what you're doing," Hiccup nodded. "Olivia confirmed herself, despite the fact she agreed later, that Dane is the one who told her to lie to me about the drunken night together; then continued to play on her loneliness of me being deployed. Dane manipulated her, and she agreed to keep doing it thinking she'd never get caught. And when she discovered she was pregnant, Dane again told her to lie and say it was mine. It will show the judge and jury that one, Olivia is a known liar, and two, that Dane has manipulated her before and she agrees for whatever reasons she has. Olivia will be removed as Dane's witness, and he'll have no one to defend his claim of not being an abuser; that's what he's trying to play. That any of the people he was with will say he never hurt them," he shrugged a little.

"That was pretty smart to think of that," Astrid informed.

"Had to do something; that bastard can't go free. He'll go after Katja and Dagny…" Hiccup sighed softly.

"I would not allow this to happen," Viggo stated.

"I didn't say you would, but Dane would still try," Hiccup reminded. "I wouldn't let him hurt her again either, neither would Brynjar or Brenden. But…Dane still got away with hurting Kat for almost a year, and I think she was just scared to leave him in case he actually hurt her. And as we saw, her fears were justified,"

"That was awful; I felt bad for her…" Brenna frowned with Signy.

"I'd kill my significant other if he put his hands on me," Astrid remarked.

"But sometimes you can't Astrid, fear takes over, and you can't react to protect yourself. Katja is pregnant; the only thing she was worried about was the safety of her children," Hiccup clarified. "Or, you just freeze in the shock that it happened. All it takes is one good hit to get someone down and wondering what the hell happened; then in that split second of not reacting right away, the abuse continues,"

"You sound like you speak from experience," Dagur pointed out.

"I do. You think what I dealt with on Berk wasn't abuse?" Hiccup asked. "Pushed, tripped, shoved to the ground. Being told I'm nothing more than a useless, weak runt? It's all abuse; doesn't have to be physical, and verbal abuse is worse than physical because it never goes away. Those wounds don't heal; it's always in the back of your mind what people thought about you," he added while drinking his coffee.

"Why didn't you do anything about it?" Gobber wondered.

"What could I have done? Everyone thought I was invisible, Gobber and nobody wanted me around…Not even my father," Hiccup said calmly. "The only time I existed to anyone was when I was getting yelled at for something. And even then; I didn't get scolded by my father; it was by the Chief for being a troublemaker in the Tribe. That's all I was back then. Just someone that no one wanted," he smiled. "You and Gothi were probably the only two who actually gave a damn. But hey; it's the past, so whatever,"

 **. . .**

 _ **[11 am]**_

Hiccup didn't seem ticked off about what happened over breakfast to the others; all he did was tell them how he felt before leaving Berk. Hiccup ate breakfast at 10, then went to shower. Currently; he was relaxing in his chair with a book and some hot tea that had lemon and honey in it. Vera was right next to him, but all of the Vikings were watching TV again until Hiccup's cell phone started ringing once more.

"Yeah?"Hiccup answered after putting it on speaker.

" _Oh, thank God you answered, Hiccup,"_ came Kelda's voice. Hiccup sat up after setting the book aside.

"What's wrong, Kelda? Is everything okay?" Hiccup inquired.

" _We're all fine, dear. It's the heat of everything right now with trying to throw Olivia's testimony out. However, there's a problem…"_ Kelda stated.

"Alright…What's up?" Hiccup asked.

" _Dagny's school called; she's not feeling well. We can't leave court…Can you go pick her up and watch her until this is over?"_ Kelda asked.

"Of course; I'll go get her right now," Hiccup replied.

" _Oh, thank you so much, Hiccup! We'll come to collect her as soon as this ends,"_ Kelda said, relieved.

"No problem. Bye now," Hiccup hung up as he stood. "Stay here; I'll be back in 15-20 minutes," he grabbed his phone; then moved to the door to get his keys. Seconds later; he was out the door.

 **. . .**

 _ **[11:20 pm]**_

Hiccup opened the door and came in holding Dagny in his arms; her head was on his shoulder, and she looked positively miserable.

"You wanna go take a nap in uncle's room?" Hiccup asked her. Dagny shook her head to him. "Your school nurse told me that you said you were tired and didn't feel good. Want to tell uncle what's bothering you?"

"The other kids…" Dagny said softly. Hiccup stared down at her now.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup set her in his chair and crouches a bit before her.

"I don't wike my school, Unka…And dey don't wike me," Dagny revealed, looking down. "Eveyone is mean…"

"Have you told your mommy about this? Or the teachers?" Hiccup inquired gently. Dagny shook her head no. "Why not?"

"Mommy been busy with court, and teachers won't wisten eiver," Dagny whimpered a bit.

"How are the other kids mean?" Hiccup asked.

Dagny sighed. "Dey take my toys and tell me to go away. Or bame me when I didn't do anyfing wong. The teachers yell and make me sit in the time-out corner. Or sometimes no one sees me…" she had tears in her eyes. For Hiccup, this sounded all too familiar to another situation he'd dealt with; his own before leaving Berk. "Da kids talk 'bout me when I'm right next to dem. Dey push past me, knock me down, and say that they didn't see me…I try to tell the teachers…And dey tells me to go away and not to lie…" Dagny looked away.

"You should tell mommy about this; she can talk to the teachers," Hiccup offered.

"One kid pushed me down and hit me…" Dagny closed her eyes.

"What?" Hiccup asked, concerned for his niece.

Dagny sniffled a bit. "He told me not to tell, or he'd do it again. And that I should listen or keeping getting hurt like my mommy did by daddy…"Okay, that pissed Hiccup off. "I told my teacher…But she said I was making it up since she never saw it happen. She never watches us; she's on her phone all day…" Oh, Hiccup needed to tell Katja about all this. "I wasn't weally sick today…I just didn't want to be dere…I don't wanna go to school anymore…"

"Sit here for a second, okay?" Hiccup smiled gently at her. Dagny nodded, wiping her eyes with the bag of her hands as Hiccup stepped back and grabbed his phone. Hiccup tapped a few things on his phone screen; then put it to his ear. "Kat, hey, it's Hiccup. Letting you know I have Dagny, and she's doing good. Uh, I know you're in court right now, but when you get this call me back because I think we need to talk about something Dagny told me. Talk to you soon, bye," he ended the call.

"How come no one wikes me at school?" Dagny asked.

"I don't know, Princess, but maybe it's just because they don't see you as others do. Or maybe you're just different from them, and they don't like it," Hiccup stated.

"Why?" Dagny wondered.

"Some people can't handle different and believe you have to be just like them," Hiccup said.

"Mommy always told me to be myself and ignore what others say cause there's nothing wrong with being who you are. And uncle Brynjar says that other people are just jealous," Dagny informed.

"And they are both right," Hiccup smiled. "It's not easy being different from everyone else, trust me; I was the same way,"

"You were?" Dagny asked.

"Absolutely! I was nothing like the people I grew up with, and everyone gave me trouble too. I got pushed around, blamed for everything. No one listened when I tried to speak up, and nobody noticed me unless I was getting yelled at," Hiccup said as he picked her up and sat her on his lap.

"What did you do, Unka?" Dagny questioned quickly.

"Well, I ran away from it all, but…You can't do that," Hiccup said.

"Why not?" Dagny mumbled.

"Because I learned years later that you can't run away from your problems; you gotta face them head on and fight for your place in the world. You might be different, but that's not a bad thing. If someone says something about you, don't get angry or upset; you prove them wrong. If someone calls you a name, do you know what you say?" Hiccup asked her.

"Someone called me a mean name was week…I called them a stupid meany; they said; _sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me_ …I got the dictionary cause mommy said it's full of words, and I dropped it on his foot saying; _do words hurt you now_?" Dagny explained. Hiccup had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing; he turned his head away from her, closing his eyes and trying so hard not to burst out laughing.

"Whew…Gods! Okay…Um," Hiccup cleared his throat, composing himself with a few breaths. He knows what she did was bad, and he shouldn't laugh, but that was goddamn hilarious! He would laugh later when he told Katja and Brynjar. "Okay…Listen; I know its tempting to attack someone who hurts you, but you can't do that because then you're no better than them. If someone bullies you, and you do things like that back; then you're a bully too. And we don't want that, right? Because you'll get into trouble for it,"

"I don't wanna be a bully; I just want them to stop," Dagny stated.

"Then you do exactly what your mommy told you to do; just be yourself and ignore it. Sooner or later; they'll stop when they see it doesn't bother you. They only do it now because you let them see that it bugs you, so ignore it and keep being you. Prove everyone wrong, and be yourself. One day; they'll see that different isn't bad. No one is the same, Dagny, and that's what makes everyone special in their own way," Hiccup told her gently.

"Is that what you did?" Dagny asked.

"I told you, I ran away. I don't know what they think of me now…And I don't rightly care. I'm not gonna stop being me based on their beliefs," Hiccup informed. "One day; I might find out if anything has changed, but right now, it doesn't matter. I'm still gonna live my life my way, and no one is gonna hold me down or stop me. I won't run away again, though. Back then, I was younger and didn't have anyone to tell me that you can't run; I just did what I felt was right to do. So now, I'm gonna pass that message to you. Don't run, Dagny. Stay, and fight for your place in the world. And if you can't find it, you make one and keep going. The people who want to be in your life will be, and they will always stand by you," he added.

"Okay…So no more hurting people with words?" Dagny asked.

"No more hurting people period, okay? If you have a problem at school and teachers don't listen…You tell your mom, your uncle Brynjar…Brenden, or Grammy Kelda…And they will take care of it, alright?" Hiccup told her firmly.

"Can I tell you too?" Dagny wondered.

"You know you can come to me with anything, and Uncle Hiccup will do whatever he can to help and make it better," Hiccup smiled as Dagny hugged him tightly, and Hiccup returned it. "Promise you'll be a good girl in school from now on? No more acting sick to leave,"

"Okay, Unka…" Dagny nodded. "I pomiss,"

"Atta girl," Hiccup kissed her forehead. "How about some cartoons while we wait for mommy to come?" Dagny nodded her head to him.

"Wunch too. I'm hungy," Dagny said.

"Grilled cheese with tomato soup?" Hiccup asked as Dagny's eyes lit up.

"Hows you know my favowit?" Dagny asked.

"Oh, Uncle has ways," Hiccup poked her nose.

"Cuz ur magic, right?" Dagny inquired as the Vikings arched their brows a bit.

"You got it, and a magician never reveals his secrets," Hiccup winked. "Sit tight; I'll cook lunch for everyone," he added while setting her in his chair while getting up and moving to the kitchen.

"That was really sweet, what you did for Dagny," Astrid complimented.

"I guess it's something I wish someone had done for me; tell me that it would be okay," Hiccup shrugged. "Or that running doesn't solve anything. Look at me; I ran away from Berk on my dragon, it didn't do anything because I still ended up back in the Archipelago for another reason. As I said, people meant to be in your life will be. I couldn't outrun my past; it caught up, so this is how things are supposed to be," he stated.

"But I think what Astrid is saying, son, is that it's nice you sat Dagny down and explained to her why she can't do those things or run away. You gave her examples of life experience, so she'd understand. You could have yelled or scolded her as I would have done to you, but you chose another path," Stoick said.

"I observe, and I learn from people and situations around me. Your scolding and inability to listen made me feel like my best course of action was to run away and leave it all behind. Bad choice because you're still here in my life 8 years later. However, when I'm faced with a problem I encountered with someone else involved; I try to do things differently to avoid the same outcome I had. I could have yelled, but what would she have learned from that? That it's okay to get mad and retaliate in anger. As kids, we look to adults around us for guidance in life. But once we become adults, we become the ones to give the same direction we received. The difference is that we return what we got with what we learned. Otherwise, the past is doomed to repeat itself over and over again," Hiccup informed while preparing lunch. "I gave her what I never got; someone to listen, guide, and help,"

Vera only smiled; she didn't think it was remotely possible to love Hiccup anymore, but she was wrong as she continued to fall even more in love with him after what he did for Dagny and said to the others.


	43. One Day

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

One Day

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Tuesday, 4/10/2018-1:30 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Lunch was interesting but calm. Everyone got to eat and relax while Valda, Dagny, and Halvor watched cartoons. Hiccup was in his chair, reading, and smiling; it seemed like he was feeling a lot better from his cold today. However, Hiccup was still sniffling and coughing now and then, but otherwise didn't seem bothered.

"Unka…We're bored," Dagny said, her hands on his book and pushing it down to reveal herself, Valda, and Halvor standing in front of his chair. Hiccup chuckled as he placed his marker on the page and set the book aside.

"Well, what would you like to do?" Hiccup asked.

"Can we go swimming?" Dagny wondered.

"Not yet, Princess. You know I don't open the pool until the end of May," Hiccup smiled.

"Um…Can we play a game?" Halvor questioned.

"Alright, how about…Hide and Seek?" Hiccup suggested.

"How do you play that?" Valda wondered now, curiously.

"One person will close their eyes and count to 10, while that person counts, the rest of the players hide. Then it's up to the seeker to find them. The last person found becomes the next seeker," Hiccup explained.

"Oh! That sounds fun, can we play?!" the 3 kids exclaimed.

"Sure. Who wants to count first?" Hiccup inquired.

"Oh, I will, Hiccup!" Valda offered.

"Alright, stand here in this corner, cover your eyes, and count to 10. When you get there, yell out; _ready or not, here I come_! Then you can start searching," Hiccup explained.

"Okay!" Valda nodded as she did what Hiccup instructed. "1, 2…" she began.

"Go hide," Hiccup whispered. Dagny and Halvor hurried off.

"6, 7, 8…" Valda continued as Hiccup had Toothless lift his wings and he laid down while Toothless closed them up, but appeared to be sleeping normal.

"Oh, that's a good one," Dagur chuckled.

"10! Ready or not, here I come!" Valda called as she began searching the house for Hiccup, Dagny, and Halvor. It only took about 6 minutes to locate her little brother and Dagny, but they'd yet to locate Hiccup. The time continued to slip by until it reached 2 pm, and neither of the 3 kids had managed to find Hiccup at all.

"Where is he!" Halvor mumbled.

The door opened revealing Katja, Brynjar, Kelda, Brenden, and Ander, who went for moral support to Brynjar and Katja. "Hiccup, we're back!" Brynjar announced.

"Where is he?" Katja questioned looking around.

"We're playing Hide and Seek. Unka still hiding," Dagny informed.

Ander and Brynjar started laughing a little. "You're never going to find him," Ander said.

"Why won't they? We know where he is," Stoick said.

"Hiccup is Special Ops, remember?" Brynjar reminded.

"That means he excels in hiding, escaping, listening in, and moving around silently to avoid being found. Hide and Seek is such an unfair game with Hiccup. I remember my brother making us play during a drill weekened. I swear…Hiccup hid for 6 hours straight until Colden said he gave up. I swear, at one point we had the entire base looking for him," Ander chuckled.

"And nobody found him?" Vera blinked.

"Nope. However, when he came out of hiding; he'd been in the most obvious place," Brynjar chuckled. "And he scared the shit out of your brother. Gods, that was priceless…"

"Oh, my God; I know," Ander nodded, patting Brynjar on the back in agreement.

"Well, we saw him hide in Toothless's wings," Brenna remarked.

"Toothless, wings up," Brynjar commanded. Toothless and Lightheart lifted their wings, and much to everyone's surprise; Hiccup was not there.

"B-But…" Heather stammered.

"How?!" the younger Vikings exclaimed.

"Told you; he's good at what he does," Ander laughed a little as he knelt down next to the kids. "Hiccup won't come out of hiding until you tell him you give up,"

"Okay, Hiccup…We give up," the 3 children called. Everyone looked around as Hiccup carefully and quietly stood up from behind the couch smiling.

"Boo!" Hiccup grinned as the Vikings jumped.

"Good Odin, son…" Stoick put a hand on his heart. Hiccup laughed a little, coming out now and shrugging.

"What the-?" Astrid blinked.

"When in the name of Thor did you get there?" Gobber asked.

"And how without anyone hearing you?" Vera inquired with a smile.

"We told you; he's a Special Ops Soldier, and they specialize in gathering information, hiding, sneaking around, evading capture, etc," Brynjar stated. "You never would have found him,"

"Seriously…How'd you do that?! We had our eyes on Toothless the whole time," Vera asked again.

Hiccup chuckled a little and kissed her lips gently. "That's a trade secret, Milady," he informed as Vera blushed a little. "So, who wants to play again? I'll seek this time," he offered.

"Okay!" the children cheered.

"Anyone else in?" Hiccup offered.

"I'll play," Ander stated.

"Sure, why not," Brynjar shrugged. Hiccup turned, covering his eyes with his hands.

"1, 2, 3, 4," Hiccup began as the 5 quickly broke off to hide somewhere. Katja sat down with Brenden and Kelda near Viggo. "8, 9, 10. Ready or not, here I come!" Hiccup called out. Instantly; he started searching for the kids. Dagny was hiding in the kitchen, but Hiccup found her in one of the cabinets. "Got ya," he said. Dagny laughed and came out, moving near her mother now. Hiccup checked a few places; then saw little feet behind the curtains. Hiccup quietly moved towards it and drew the shades back to reveal Halvor. "Found you, little brother,"

"You're good at this," Halvor smiled, moving over to the rest now. Hiccup continued looking; he located Valda under the dining room table, lying on the chairs.

"You're out, sis," Hiccup poked her side as Valda giggled and came out. "Now…Where are the other two…" Hiccup tapped his chin. "Bryn; I know you're in my bedroom hiding on the left side of the closet," he called.

"Son of a bitch…How did you-!" Brynjar scolded, coming out with a grumble.

"And Ander…You're hiding in the tub of the bathroom in my room also," Hiccup stated, arms crossed over his chest.

"Goddamn it!" Ander yelled, coming out next.

"I still reign supreme at this game," Hiccup chuckled.

"You cheated; you had to of!" Ander accused.

"I did no such thing. I had my back turned and facing the corner the whole time I counted," Hiccup defended quickly.

"No, no, no…There's no way you knew where we were without even coming into the room," Brynjar agreed with Ander.

"And you won't believe the _I'm just that damn good_ , will you?" Hiccup inquired with a smile.

"Not a chance," Brynjar and Ander shook their heads. "So fess up,"

"As I told my girlfriend; a trade secret. I'm never going to tell you how I do it," Hiccup laughed. "So, how'd the trial go?" he wondered, looking at Katja now.

"Dane's locked up for a long time," Brenden confirmed.

Kelda nodded. "Yes, and no option for parole either,"

"About time," Hiccup sighed in relief. "I take it my ex-wife's testimony was thrown out?"

"Actually…No, they kept it because Olivia didn't defend Dane," Katja said softly as Hiccup's widened a little.

"Say what?" Hiccup questioned.

"She defended Kat, Hiccup," Ander informed.

"Olivia said that Dane was rough with her as well, never to the beating that Katja was, but Dane was mean and rough to Olivia if she didn't put out when he wanted it," Brynjar interjected. "She even had proof,"

"That Dane was hurting her?" Hiccup growled a bit. Vera already could tell Hiccup was just learning of this; that Olivia might have very well been hurt by Dane if she didn't have sex with him.

The Oliversens, Brynjar, and Ander nodded. "Olivia never said anything to you, did she?" Ander asked.

"No; this is the first I hear of Dane doing that; I wonder why she didn't tell me," Hiccup pondered now.

"Hiccup…You might not want to hear this, but I'm your friend, so I'm gonna tell you; Olivia tried to tell you," Katja informed gently.

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"Olivia said that's why she wanted to talk to you so badly, and kept trying…So you'd know that Dane was hurting her sometimes," Katja stated. "She said she tried during your February drill…And when she came here the day of your party,"

"And other times before that, but you were ignoring her calls and texts," Ander added.

"I see…" Hiccup said quietly.

"Hiccup, she still cheated on your for 7 months and lied about the baby she's carrying being yours," Brynjar reminded.

"Doesn't erase that I should have listened when she was trying to tell me something serious. If…I had known I could have warned Kat, and maybe she wouldn't have been hurt the way she was," Hiccup sighed. "I was so focused on wanting the divorce; I didn't bother to hear anything she had to say because I thought they would just be more attempts to get me back,"

"They probably would have been, Hiccup. Come on, don't beat yourself up," Ander mentioned.

"Look what she did after signing the divorce papers? Knowing you had been drinking a little, she gave you that CD and you almost folded and took her back until you gave your father the papers and your phone," Katja said lightly.

"And she probably would have used some excuse in saying Dane was forcing her to have sex with him to make you feel bad," Brynjar huffed. "There was an ulterior motive in her eyes, Hiccup. Do not feel bad; you heard it yourself that Dane never hurt Olivia the way he hurt Katja," Brynjar put a hand on his shoulder.

"True…" Hiccup nodded.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Katja inquired.

"Come with me," Hiccup told her. Katja blinked a little and followed Hiccup into the bedroom, once she was inside; Hiccup closed the door.

"What's wrong?" Katja asked.

"Were you aware Dag has been getting bullied and ignored at daycare?" Hiccup questioned.

"What? No!" Katja exclaimed.

"I thought as much…Look, Kat; Dag wasn't sick today…She faked it to get sent home because she doesn't like her school; the kids and teachers treat her like she's invisible…" Hiccup informed.

"Tell me everything, please?" Katja begged, worried for her little girl. Hiccup took a breath and began to explain everything to her about when he picked Dagny up, and then the talk they had at his house.

 **. . .**

 _ **[2:35]**_

The door opened as Katja and Hiccup came out. "Hiccup, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will take care of it first thing in the morning," Katja sighed gently.

"I couldn't not tell you, Kat…I've been there before; I know how it feels to feel like there's no one around to help," Hiccup stated.

"I know," Katja hugged him.

"What's going on?" Ander asked.

"Just some problems at Dagny's daycare," Katja stated. "Baby girl…" Katja pulled Dagny into her lap. "Why didn't you tell mommy about all these things?"

"You was busy with the court. I didn't want to make you more upset," Dagny frowned.

"Oh, sweetheart…Mommy always has time for you, and things like these; I have to know, or I can't make them better. You can tell me anything, and we'll find a way to figure it out," Katja assured.

"You can tell any of us," Ander smiled. "Me, Uncle Brynjar, and Uncle Hiccup will always fight for you,"

Dagny smiled now as Katja blushed a little at Ander's comment. "Okay," Dagny nodded. "Mommy, do I still have to go back to that school?"

"It's the only place that has room, sweetie; the other schools are filled up," Katja said lightly.

"Maybe not…" Ander pointed out. "Gimme a second," he smiled; then stepped off to the side with his phone out.

"Well, alrighty…" Brynjar chuckled. "What now?"

"Can we play more Unka Hiccup?" Dagny asked him.

"What game this time?" Hiccup asked gently.

"How about tag?" Dagny tried.

"That's not really an indoor game, Princess," Hiccup informed. "How about hide and seek again?"

"Can I count this time?" Dagny inquired.

"Sure," Hiccup nodded. Dagny turned to start counting as Hiccup chose his place to hide; under Toothless's wings again.

"10! Ready or not, here I come!" Dagny yelled as she started searching. The others watched closely to see if they could watch Hiccup make his move. Dagny reached Toothless now. "Toofess, can you wift your wings pease?" the Night Fury obeyed and raised his wings up, revealing that Hiccup was not under them. A sound was heard across the room as Dagny went to go check it out. As she did this, Hiccup's head popped out from under Lightheart's right wing before he silently made it to hide on the side of the shelf. When Dagny moved away from him again; Hiccup snuck into his bedroom. After 5 more minutes, Dagny huffed. "Okay, okay…I give up…"

Hiccup came out of the bedroom smiling now, seeing her frowning face; he chuckled a little and quickly picked her up in his arms. "Aw, come on…Don't be sad. I'm just really good at this game,"

"Where were you?" Dagny wondered.

"On the other side of my bed," Hiccup informed. "Hiding is what I do best, Princess," he reminded.

"Well don't be best at it," Dagny mumbled as a few people chuckled.

"I have to be. You wouldn't want uncle to get captured or killed, would you?" Hiccup asked. Dagny shook her head. "Then I have to be good at hiding," he added. Ander returned and sat next to Katja.

"Hey, if you still want to transfer Dagny into another school; you can send her to the one near my apartment in Amagerbro," Ander offered. "It's only about 10 minutes from where you are now,"

"But can she go there being out of the district?" Katja wondered.

"Of course! I called and asked already; my mother is head of the school," Ander smiled.

"Really?" Katja blinked.

"Yeah, and they'd love to have more students in there. And the best part is that this daycare is also an after-school program location. When Dagny starts Kindergarten at 6; if you're still working and can't be there to get her off the bus, then she can take a supervised bus trip to the daycare, and they'll watch her up until 6 pm at night. They can help with homework, provide snacks," Ander informed.

"Wow, that does sound like a phenomenal place," Katja said gently.

"And it's entirely affordable," Ander added. "My mom said you can come by tomorrow to take a tour and get more information if you want,"

"I suppose I could take a look around before deciding. I really want Dagny to enjoy going to school," Katja said softly.

"She'll love it here, trust me. Great teachers," Ander stated.

"Alright, I'll go see it and decide afterward. Thank you, Ander; that was really nice of you," Katja blushed a little.

"Well, no child should have to feel uncomfortable about going to school. And it's obvious this place isn't very good if Dagny is telling you that she doesn't want to go there anymore," Ander reminded as Katja nodded to him.

"True. Well, we should be heading off," Katja said as Dagny quickly hurried to hide behind Hiccup's leg.

"I don't want to leave yet…" Dagny whined.

"Come on, sweetie…Mommy is tired today," Katja sighed.

"No! Can I stay with Unka Hiccup a little longer?" Dagny tried.

"No, Princess…Now, come on," Brynjar told her.

"But Unka can bring me home later," Dagny attempted to bargain. Hiccup coughed a little and sniffled as he was still sick.

"It doesn't sound like your uncle is feeling very well today, Dagny. Maybe another day you can stay," Kelda said.

"Unka's been playing with me since I got here!" Dagny argued.

"Dagny, come on," Katja said firmly.

"No!" Dagny said angrily. Katja sighed heavily, obviously not in the mood for her daughter's defiance today.

"Dagny…" Katja warned.

"No!" Dagny refused.

"Dagny Oliversen!" Hiccup raised his voice to one that was much more authoritative. "That is enough," the Vikings had never heard him use it before, and with one of the kids too. "You will stop giving your mother a hard time right now, or I won't let you come over to my house anymore until your behavior changes. Is that understood, young lady?" Dagny quickly nodded. "Now, move it," he pointed. Dagny hurried over to her mother and remained quiet.

"Thank you, Hiccup," Katja smiled.

"Apologize to your mother, Dagny," Hiccup said firmly.

"Sowwy, Mommy," Dagny said in a small voice.

"It's okay," Katja replied.

"Now, if you promise to be a good girl for mommy the rest of the week, and I'm feeling better…Maybe you can sleep over this weekend," Hiccup informed Dagny. "Okay?"

"Okay!" Dagny nodded her head quickly.

"Alright, let's get going," Brynjar stated. "See ya, Hiccup. Feel better, bro,"

"I'll try," Hiccup smiled. "Bye, guys!" he watched them leave before starting to clean things up a little bit.

"Never seen you get that firm with Dagny before," Vera mentioned.

"Sometimes you have to be firm with children, teach them right from wrong," Hiccup replied. "They can't disrespect their parents. I know Dagny likes to hang out here with me, but when Katja says it's time to leave, Dagny needs to listen to her,"

"Why does she like hanging with you so much?" Thuggoru wondered.

"I'm the fun uncle," Hiccup chuckled before coughing into his arm a bit more.

"You need to get back to bed," Vera stated to her boyfriend.

"Yeah," Hiccup yawned. "Maybe a short nap," he kissed her forehead and returned to his room, closing the door.

"Have to admit; he's pretty good with kids," Stoick confessed.

"Well, you figure he grew up with Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen. And he's been in Dagny's life since she was born," Gobber reminded.

"True. Britta just turned 16 in February too, so 8 years ago, she was only 8. The twins would have been 5, going on 6 and Hagen…Probably almost 2," Signy remarked.

"I think how good he is with children stems from the fact that he didn't have a good childhood," Brenna said softly.

"So he gives others kids the love and attention he wished he had," Eret nodded. "I have to agree with that,"

"Same," Camicazi and Heather agreed.

"What do you think, Vera?" Astrid asked.

"I think that Hiccup is going to make a wonderful father one day," Vera smiled gently, and she could say that confidently based on everything she saw today between Hiccup and Dagny.


	44. Moral Support

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Moral Support

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 4/27/2018-9 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

I recovered from my cold by the 11th of April and was right back to teach the Vikings about modernized life. I did let Dagny sleepover Friday the 13th and Saturday the 14th, Dagny went home Sunday at 6 pm because she would be starting her first day at the new daycare that Ander suggested to Katja on the 10th. I had a sneaking suspicion that Ander and Katja might end up together at some point; there was definitely some chemistry between them. Ander was able to make Katja smile a lot, and I always had a feeling that perhaps Ander liked Katja as more than a friend, but Katja was with Dane for 4 years, so Ander never got his chance; it seemed like he might now. I also felt that Ander would have one hell of a time getting the blessing of Brenden, Brynjar, and Viggo to date Katja if things went that far. Kelda and Viggo were reconnecting, becoming friends, but I think their feelings for one another were going to resurface. It seemed like Viggo never forgot about Kelda in 20 some-odd years, and looked excited to see here again the day Katja was hurt by Dane.

Brynjar and Katja have come around to be very accepting of their father, and it seemed like Viggo would get the late chance of being in their lives, helping if he was able to. Vera and I are doing well together; it would be one month for us come May 8th, and I still can't believe how much I love this girl. I know I said that I regret things with Olivia, but do I really? If I hadn't gotten my heart broken, how would have Vera ever healed it? I guess I'll leave it at Olivia and I wasn't meant to be, and what happened with her was just part of the plan. Perhaps Vera is the one I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with? I suppose I'd find out with more time. The rest of the month has been quiet, shockingly. I've got the Vikings well taught on how to cook the most basic meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Honestly, I think their lessons are almost done; I'll need to talk to Major General Olsen about it to make sure, but I've taught the Vikings everything they'd need to know to survive with the modern technology we have.

I knew they'd have to leave soon, but I really wish Vera didn't have to return. I had no idea how things were going to work between us at such a distance. It takes 3-4 hours at best on Toothless to get between Denmark and the Archipelago. I suppose one of us could move, but I don't think Vera would want to leave her home, and I don't know if I could live there again. This had been one of my biggest fears in telling Vera how I feel; now I didn't know what would happen when we had to say goodbye. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the time we do have together, and it will start with a date.

Breakfast was over now, and everyone was sitting around while I finished cleaning up from the meal. "What do we get to do today, Hiccup?" Signy inquired.

"I'm still working on that," I replied. "I'm not entirely sure what else I can teach you,"

"Doesn't that mean we return to the Archipelago if lessons are over?" Astrid asked.

"It does," I nodded. "I'll need to speak with Askel and ask him if he has anything else he wants you to be taught. If not, then you'll be going back fairly soon,"

"Doesn't Vera still have her dragon lessons with you?" Dagur questioned.

"Yes, but there are trainers on the islands," I stated.

"But she's your girlfriend," Camicazi reminded.

"I'm well aware, thank you," I rolled my eyes. "Look, it's not my decision what happens. You all might be going back while I keep working to stop whoever wants to wage war," I added.

"Can't you come back with us and do that?" Eret asked.

"I could, but to what point? I work for the Danish Military; I station wherever they tell me to go," I shrugged my shoulders.

"If…We do go back home, what happens to us, Hiccup?" Vera asked softly almost.

"I'll come to visit you on Toothless; you know it won't take me too long to get there. Stay a couple days and return," I suggested. "Hey, we'll find a way to make it work; I promise. In the meantime, how about we just enjoy what we got now?" I kissed her lightly after walking over.

"Okay," Vera nodded.

"Speaking of now…I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go out with me tonight, on a date?" I inquired.

"You mean those little outings couples do now and then?" Vera blinked a little, blushing.

"Yeah," I responded.

"Sure, I'd love to, Hiccup," Vera smiled now.

"Great. We'll leave around 4 pm," I stated. "I should call Askel and see what he wants me to do with-," I stopped when there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" I called. The door opened to reveal Askel and Colden standing there. "I was just going to call you," I informed; it was now I noticed Brynjar and Strike Unit with him behind Askel and Colden. "To what do I the visit?" I asked.

"Work-related," Colden said.

"Well, come on in," I invited. The group walked in as I closed the door and faced them.

"What were you going to call me about?" Askel inquired.

"What else you wanted me to teach them? I've covered everything basic that Henrik taught me except driving," I informed.

"And they have a full understanding of those lessons?" Askel stared.

"Yes, sir," I replied respectfully.

"I suppose that means they return home," Colden looked at Askel now.

"In due time. I believe there is more you can teach them, Hiccup," Askel said. "What about the dragons?"

"There's no need, Major General Olsen. The dragons in the Archipelago don't behave the same way ours do," I replied.

"But you possess the knowledge of stopping a full blown raid, Lieutenant. And how to settle wild dragons," Askel reminded. "We're working on locating the source; they seem to flock to an island West of Berk," he revealed, unrolling a map and laying it out to show me where.

"Helheim's Gate," I revealed. "Must be the central nest,"

"We've tried to get through several times; the dragons don't let anyone traverse the fog wall," Askel confessed.

"We face that same problem," Stoick mentioned with a nod from Viggo and Alvin to back up the statement.

"Orders from the queen…" I sighed.

"Excuse me?" Colden blinked.

"Every nest has its queen; the one who rules over the others there. The queen must be ordering them to keep intruders out," I informed. "And I can stop a raid because I have Toothless and his Alpha Mode, sir,"

"Then perhaps it would be best to send you back with them," Askel stated.

"Yeah, I have my reservations about that option…Anyway, what did you come for?" I decided to inquire.

"Headquarters has decided to allow your request, Lieutenant Haddock," Askel remarked. "You will report in twice a day on your status and location, and at the first sign of being discovered or captured; you will abort and return to the Archipelago to check in before coming back here,"

"Done," I nodded firmly.

"And there is a catch," Askel said.

"Oh boy," I sighed.

"One person has to go with you. You can take Brynjar or one of your Strike Unit team members, but you have to take one person as back up," Colden informed.

"Brynjar," I replied; he was the best choice out of who I could choose from. Brynjar had a Woolly Howl, another Strike Class dragon; that's what we needed to make this happen.

"Then it's settled. HQ says you can leave next Friday, and miss drill. You report directly to me by radio," Askel ordered.

"Sir, yes sir. How long do we have?" I inquired now.

"As long as it takes to do and however many trips you want to make for it to happen. Consider this a deployment where you choose your days. You just have to let us know when you plan to go," Colden stated.

"I think I can handle that. What about them while I'm gone?" I wondered about the Vikings.

"They will remain here for the time being; Strike Unit can watch them, perhaps assist in dragon training?" Askel suggested.

"Why are you asking me? You're the boss," I mumbled.

"But you're the lead dragon trainer, Hiccup. And despite you being in my army, and ranked beneath me; the queen tops my orders over you and the dragons. She put you in charge of that entire department, so what happens there is your decision," Askel said.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to teach them the dragon classifications and species within each group. I've gotten through Stoker and Tidal with Vera; we were starting Boulder next, so why don't you start them all on that class?" I told Strike Unit.

"No problem, Hic," Sigvard smiled.

"Oh, and HQ commissioned this to be made for you," Colden interjected while handing Hiccup a folded set of clothes. "They thought it might be a bit more helpful if you blended in with your dragon,"

I unfolded the clothes and saw them to be a uniform like the ones I had, but this was all black with some-what lighter patches. It matched Toothless, and wearing it while riding him; I'd blend right in. "Wow, this is awesome," I exclaimed.

"And it's exclusive to only you, Lieutenant," Askel added. "For missions like these,"

"I understand," I nodded.

"We'll be ready to leave for Friday at…" Brynjar looked at me for help.

"Takes about 5-6 hours to fly from here to the Archipelago, as Toothless's entire elusive thing is nighttime…It would be best to do our recons then. We should leave at a time that enables us to find our place to camp out, set up, and begin around midnight, work up until just before the sun rises," I informed. "We should leave here around 1630 pm, arrive at 2130, set up, dinner, and start reconning for 2300 or 0000 hours,"

"Sounds good; we'll have everything you need to be delivered here," Askel affirmed.

"We'll be ready," Brynjar nodded.

"Excellent, that's all we needed to handle then. And Hiccup…Do be careful," Colden asked calmly.

"I'll do my best, sir," I vowed.

"Let's be on our way then," Askel hurried the rest along to leave the house. "Remember, Hiccup; this is just a recon to find the base, nothing more,"

"I'm aware," I replied. Askel then left the house as I sighed. So, HQ was actually going to let me do this? Go out with Toothless, Brynjar, and Snowstrike to find Drago's main base of operations? It could be interesting.

"Hiccup? You good for this?" Brynjar inquired.

"Why wouldn't I be? It was my idea," I responded.

"You look nervous," Brynjar chuckled.

"Of course I am," I admitted. "We're going out by ourselves to find this base, and Odin only knows how long it could take,"

"We don't have to be gone long; we'll do it in sections, brother. Little time searching, come home and take a break; the go out again. You know these things can take time," Brynjar offered.

"Sadly, I do know that," I nodded. "You're right," he added.

"So, what now?" Brynjar asked. "You have an idea of the places we're looking first?"

"I'll figure it out over the week; I need to sit down with it, and a map," I informed.

"Gonna figure out travel times and what not?" Brynjar asked as I nodded. "Well, I trust ya. We'll do whatever plan you come up with. "I'll come by later,"

"I, uh…I won't be here. I'm taking on Vera on a date at 4," I smiled.

"Good for you. They need a sitter?" Brynjar wondered about the Vikings.

"You know…I think they'll be okay," I chuckled. "They've proven they can listen, learn, and adapt. I trust them,"

"Alright, I'll see ya later, man. Love ya," Brynjar connected his hand to mine, waved to his father. "See ya, Dad!"

"Bye, son," Viggo replied as Brynjar turned and left the house.

"You really trust us?" Fishlegs inquired.

"No reason not to. You listened to me for once, learned the things I taught you, and adapted to a new life that will help you for generations to come," I said.

"We should have listened from the start when you said there was more," Stoick confessed.

"Hey, I get it; you were set in your ways. And there's nothing wrong with going with what works, but sometimes, you gotta have more to make it better than it is. And just like Askel told Colden back in February…Sometimes a leader needs to listen to the people he or she leads," I informed.

"Are you really going to let us learn about dragons?" Soren hoped.

"Well, part of bringing the islands into the moderness includes dragons…So yes, you will be learning the classes and species. I'm still undecided if you will be learning how to train, care for, bond, and fly. We'll see how you do with the first part; in my academy, nobody moves forward until they know classifications. Unless, the situation is what happened with Vera, where the dragon chooses you to bond with," I explained.

"Does that happen often?" Ruffnut wondered.

"More often than one would think," I chuckled. There was another knock on the door as I peered over; then went to answer it. Opening it; I saw Olivia standing there. "Olivia?" I instantly saw how red and puffy her eyes were; she'd been crying. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi…" Olivia managed. "May I come in?" I stepped aside and allowed her in; then closed the door. "I was wondering if I could have the wedding album?...I-If you still have it?"

"It's put away in storage, but why would you want it?" I asked.

"I-I just…" Olivia turned her head, trying not to cry. "I just want it to remember,"

I sighed. "I'm not going to let you torture yourself with the memories of us,"

"N-No…Not that," Olivia said quickly.

"Then why?" I asked. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"I-It's nothing, Hiccup…I-I just want it. Please?" Olivia tried.

"Olivia, come on. You've been crying; I see it in your eyes. Stress isn't good for you or the baby, especially when you're due to give birth in a few weeks. Now, tell me," I stated.

Olivia sighed. "I don't see how you can still care about me after what happened,"

"Despite what happened…We were still together from 2014 to 2017…I did love you, and we were married. And just because we're divorced now, doesn't mean I stopped caring. Now tell me what's wrong; I know there's something," I remarked.

"My parents and little brother are dead, Hiccup…" Olivia told me. I stepped back, entirely surprised by the information.

"B-Bard, Maeva, a-and Birger?" I asked as Olivia nodded sadly. "Come to sit down," I led her to the couch and sat next to her. "What happened?"

"It was 2 days ago…Mom and dad took Birger on vacation to go skiing; I chose to stay back because I'm so close to giving birth…There was a bad storm on their way home…A-And they crashed, then the car fell over the guardrail; all 3 of them are gone…" Olivia was shaking, trembling with sadness as I saw the tears falling from her eyes. I did the only thing I could; I pulled her in and hugged her tightly as she let go and sobbed hard. What else could I do? Sure, Olivia broke my heart with what she did to me but losing her parents and brother; she was suffering far worse.

Nobody did anything for about 10 minutes; I just held Olivia while she cried. Finally, she pulled back and wiped her eyes a few times. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I-I don't know right now, Hiccup. It's just…Everything is-," Olivia tried.

"Hey, hey; I get it. There's a lot to process and deal with," I told her. "Why do you need the album?"

"I-It has a lot of pictures of me with them, a-and I'm making a collage for the service…" Olivia admitted.

"I'll go get it for you," I got up and went to the weight room, scavenging through boxes to locate the wedding ones. I found the album and pulled it out. "You need anything else?" I called.

"N-No…I don't think so," Olivia replied. I closed up the box and returned to the living room as I handed it to her. "Thank you," she said softly.

"When are the service and funeral?" I asked now.

"Tomorrow. Memorial at 3, funeral at 4…After party to follow," Olivia said.

"And you don't have anyone standing with you for it, do you?" I pushed. Olivia shook her head sadly. "Then I will,"

"Wh-What?" Olivia stared. "Hiccup…No; I-I can't ask you to-,"

"You don't have to ask; I'm telling you that I will," I stated

"It's reserved for family…Or a spouse," Olivia reminded.

"And a little more than a month ago, Olivia; I was your husband. And your family were my in-laws, which made them family to me too. If anyone is more qualified to stand that position; it's me, despite what happened. You shouldn't have to face this by yourself, and I'm not going to let you," I said firmly.

"B-But why…" Olivia asked.

"If you need anything; you call me, and I will help. And I will be at your side tomorrow afternoon," I informed. "Now are you good to get back? You should drive while you're upset,"

"I-I'll be okay," Olivia nodded to me.

"Alright. Text me when you get home, so I know you made it there safely," I instructed.

"I will, and thank you again, Hiccup," Olivia said as I helped her up and to the door. Olivia left with the album as I closed the door and sighed.

"Gods…Damnit…" I sighed.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" Vera asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied.

"Why'd you agree after everything she did to you?" Snotlout asked.

"It's the kind of person I am, and it's the right thing to do. She doesn't have anybody to be there for her tomorrow, and it will undoubtedly be one of the hardest things she ever has to do, so I'm going as moral support," I stated. And that's exactly what it was too. I was many things, but I was not heartless, and I rarely held a grudge. Olivia needed someone to be there for her when she went through all this, losing her parents and little brother; it only felt right as her former husband to be the one to be there.


	45. How Unbelievable

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

How Unbelievable

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Thursday, 5/10/2018-9 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

A lot had happened since that day where Olivia showed up asking for the wedding album from Hiccup and revealing that her parents and little brother had been killed in a tragic car crash. Hiccup, as Olivia's former husband, stood in as someone who was there for her on the 28th of April. However, on Friday night; Hiccup still took Vera on their first date. Hiccup and Vera went to the movies, then dinner, finally a moonlit flight on Toothless before returning to the house. On Saturday, Hiccup went off to Olivia's to help her prepare for things later that afternoon. Hiccup came home around 7:30 pm and was exhausted from everything. Hiccup was glad to be back in his house and lying down by 8 pm. For everything else; it had been calm. On Friday, May 4th, Brynjar and Hiccup left to start their mission of locating the enemy base within the Archipelago.

Henrik, Mari, Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas were staying at Hiccup's place for the duration of the time he was away; just to help out a little if the Vikings needed it. Vera was worried about Hiccup, but he promised everything would be okay. Brynjar and Hiccup left at 4:40 pm on Friday the 4th of May, and had thus far been gone a full week. Hiccup and Brynjar couldn't say anything that happened while they were away, only call to check in and say they were safe and camped out until the next time they went to try another place. Most of these missions were done any time after 10 pm, and so far; there hadn't been any luck, but all of that information was classified. All Hiccup or Brynjar could reveal was how the mission went as far as if it was calm or got a little hectic.

"I miss him…" Lilly frowned.

"Your brother is doing his duty," Henrik reminded.

"But why does he have to go alone?" Britta mumbled.

"Hiccup chose this," Mari sighed. "And he's not alone; he has Toothless, Brynjar, and Snowstrike,"

"It's still dangerous…" Lukas told them.

"You have to trust in him, kids," Henrik stated. "Hiccup would not have taken this missions if he didn't believe he could complete it. Hiccup never does anything unless he's sure of himself; it's not about skill, rank, or any of that. This was a choice made based on his own belief in himself,"

"Aren't skill and all that part of what makes him so good?" Thuggory asked.

"Yes, but those were all learned traits. Having faith in yourself is something only you can do. How can anyone believe in you if you don't believe in yourself?" Henrik informed. "And sometimes; that belief is the biggest strength you have to fight with,"

"The funny part is that I've been standing here for 5 minutes and nobody noticed," came Hiccup's voice. Instantly, they all looked towards the back door, which was opening to reveal Toothless; Hiccup was at the smaller door, walking in with a bag on his shoulder and still in the black camo uniform.

"HICCUP!" everyone said in shock.

"Surprise," Hiccup chuckled. Britta rushed over first to launch herself into his arms. Hiccup quickly dropped his bag and caught her in a tight embrace. Following that was Lilly, Valda, Halvor, Lukas, and Hagen. When they had let go, Mari stepped in.

"I'm so thankful you're alright," Mari sobbed a bit.

"Mom…Come on, don't cry, please?" Hiccup pleaded as he hugged her.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt this time, right?" Mari demanded.

"Mom, I'm fine; we didn't run into any problems," Hiccup paused. "Okay, none that Bryn and I couldn't handle," he added quickly. Henrik hugged him next with a smile.

"Welcome home, son," Henrik stated.

"Thanks," Hiccup replied as he faced the Vikings, specifically Vera. Right away, she smiled broadly and charged into his arms. Hiccup laughed a little as he lifted her up and span her around. "I've desperately missed you,"

"Well, you don't have to miss me now," Vera giggled once Hiccup put her down; he leaned and gave her a hard, loving kiss.

"Oh, my," Mari blinked, but smiled. Hiccup broke the kiss a few moments later and hugged her again before looking at the others.

"Alright, come on…If you want a hug, come get it," Hiccup invited. Gobber went first, then Stoick. The rest just gave him light hugs and handshakes.

"Where's Brynjar?" Viggo asked.

"He went right on home to Kelda's to see Dagny, Katja, Kelda, and Brenden," Hiccup informed. "Don't worry; I invited them over for dinner tonight,"

"Ah, okay," Viggo nodded.

"So, how'd it go?" Henrik wondered.

"You know I can't tell you about any of that," Hiccup reminded softly.

"Just…Making progress or no? You're home earlier than expected, so wondering if maybe you found something?" Henrik tried.

"We're back early to restock and take a break. That's what Brynjar and I agreed to do that way we aren't gone for long periods of time," Hiccup stated. "And we found a lot of things; just not what we wanted, so the search is still on,"

"When do you plan to go back?" Britta wondered. "You won't miss my graduation, right?"

"Not for the world," Hiccup vowed. "I think we're gonna go again in two weeks or so," he added. "I'll talk that out with Bryn and HQ. Brynjar doesn't want to possibly miss Katja's birth with Rowan,"

"I thought she was due at the end of June?" Astrid asked.

"Well, yes, but sometimes the baby comes early or late; we don't really know until the day comes. But after two weeks, doctors induce labor," Hiccup shrugged. "How's dragon training going?" he wondered.

"Great, we're done with Boulder and starting…Uh…Mystery next," Dagur stated.

"Awesome, proud of you guys," Hiccup smiled. "Alright, let me go shower, change, and then we'll hang out some more," he kissed Vera's cheek and headed off to get his back and enter his bedroom.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Friday, 5/11/2018-9 pm]**_

The rest of Friday was quiet, just friends hanging out and welcoming Hiccup and Brynjar home from their mini-deployment. As Hiccup missed his and Vera's one month anniversary due to being away; he decided to take her on a date, just the two of them for all of Saturday. Hiccup made her breakfast in bed, then the two of them showered and got dressed to head out for the day. It started with a morning flight on Toothless; then off to the carnival that was in Copenhagen. This part of the day lasted for a few hours from 10 am to 1 pm, then they caught a movie at the theater from 4-5:30; then they went to dinner together. The meal lasted from 6 pm to 7:15; they had a shared appetizer, two separate meals, and then an ice cream dessert to split between them. The rest of the time was walking through the park and taking a night flight under the stars until 8:45 pm when they decided to head for the house.

"Oh, this was so much fun," Vera sighed out as Hiccup had Toothless land; then the two got off and walked towards the back door of the home, opening the garage bay for Toothless to get inside and rush to see his mate, Lightheart. Hiccup and Vera walked in with Vera on Hiccup's arm smiling happily.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, sorry I wasn't here for the 8th," Hiccup said gently.

"Hiccup, it's okay. But thank you for tonight; it was amazing," Vera stated. "What now? It's still early,"

"We can always go watch a movie in the bedroom?" Hiccup suggested.

"I like that idea. Do I get to pick it?" Vera wondered.

"Of course. Go ahead; I'm just gonna use the bathroom first and get comfortable," Hiccup told her. Vera nodded as she headed for the shelf while Hiccup entered his bedroom.

"Did you have fun, Vera?" Viggo asked.

"Mmhm, I did, Uncle Viggo," Vera replied, still scanning the movie choices.

"What did you two do?" Stoick inquired.

"Morning flight went to the carnival, a movie, and then dinner. Oh, and we walked through the park too," Vera said while she grabbed something and headed for the room she was using to change into her sleepwear. Afterward; she used the bathroom before making her way towards Hiccup's room.

"What movie are you watching?" Viggo asked now.

"Dad…" Brynjar said calmly as Viggo looked at him. Brynjar had been there to keep an eye on the group for the day while Hiccup and Vera were on the date, plus he had work to do, and Hiccup had all the information on his laptop, so it made sense to hang at the house for the day. "Ease up. Go on, Ver. Have fun," Brynjar sent Vera off into Hiccup's room.

"Night," Vera and Hiccup called as the door closed.

"Why'd they say goodnight?" Heather inquired. "We'll see them after the movie, won't we?"

"Likely not," Gobber shrugged.

"They'll probably fall asleep together," Brynjar informed. "The movie Vera picked is at least an hour and a half; it'll be about 10:30 pm by the time it's over. If they don't miss half of it due to making out first," he chuckled.

"Doesn't making out lead to other things if they get too into it?" Viggo said quickly.

"What's your point, Dad?" Brynjar asked.

"She's only 18, and they've only been together a month," Viggo panicked. "My brother and his wife will kill me," he stood to get to the room, but Brynjar cut him off.

"Dad, stop. First off, you'll piss Hiccup right off if you barge into his bedroom. Secondly; Hiccup is 22 and Vera is 18; they are adults. And out here that means they can do whatever they want no matter what others say. There is no law saying they can't have sex if they want to," Brynjar reminded.

"But I thought Hiccup mentioned that new couples wait a bit before doing any of that?" Signy inquired.

"Some do, others don't. It all depends, and besides that; I know Hiccup and Vera won't have sex tonight," Brynjar rolled his eyes.

"How can you know that?" Eret wondered.

"Because Hiccup's not ready to," Brynjar whispered.

"What do you mean? It's not like it's anything new to him," Alvin questioned.

"That doesn't change that the first and only person he ever did it with broke his heart," Brynjar mentioned as the Viking's eyes widened a bit. "Hiccup isn't ready to have sex with someone else yet. We talked about it over the fire during the missions; it the fear of getting hurt again,"

"Vera wouldn't hurt him," Soren said.

"But given what Hiccup went through with Olivia; the fear still exists. Yes, he's happy and in love with Vera, but Olivia still hurt him because Hiccup gave her everything, and she broke his heart; those wounds have not entirely healed yet," Brynjar explained. "Trust me; they'll do it one day, but it won't be any time in the next few months. So back off, and let them be,"

"Think they'll do foreplay?" Tuffnut wondered now.

"Possibly," Brynjar shrugged a bit. "Again, totally normal for couples to do," he added before getting back to work. "Now, hush up and watch TV or something,"

 **. . .**

 _ **[10:15 pm]**_

There were 15 minutes left in the movie; Hiccup and Vera decided to watch Beauty & The Beast, the live-action movie. It was one of Vera's favorite Disney movies that Hiccup showed the Vikings when they were learning things. There was usually a movie night every night, and Vera had fallen in love with Beauty and The Beast, so when she saw Hiccup had the live-action that released in 2017; she had to see it with him.

"Gods, I love this movie…It truly shows you that you have to see someone for what they are inside," Vera smiled.

"It teaches you that you can judge someone based on appearance," Hiccup chuckled. "Britta showed this one to me," he revealed. "The Andersons were the first ones to learn how I was seen by the Vikings, and Britta introduced me to the cartoon version from 1997. I guess it's one of my favorites because it shows that anyone can find love and be accepted for who they are. That's all I ever wanted,"

"Oh, Hiccup…" Vera cupped his cheek a little. "Well, I love and accept you as you are. After all, I never really knew you before you left Berk so I can say I know the real you and that's exactly who I fell for," she said softly.

"I love you, Vera," Hiccup said softly. Vera smiled, leaning in and kissing him. Hiccup responded and deepened the action, making it more passionate. Vera let a soft moan escape her lips as Hiccup moved in more and Vera leaned back against the pillows, pulling Hiccup down on top of her.

Vera broke the kiss a moment, staring up into his eyes. "Pause the movie until tomorrow morning?" she asked. Hiccup reached for the remote and paused the movie; then turned just the TV off so it would stay where they left the movie at. "Can we have a little _fun_?" Vera hinted.

"I don't see why not," Hiccup smiled as he leaned in and kissed her deeply again.

 **(Foreplay Begin)**

The making out continued for another 5 minutes as Vera moaned into the kiss. Hiccup's lips moved from Vera's neck along her jawline, and then Hiccup nipped at her earlobe, causing Vera to jump a little.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Vera asked.

"Something new," Hiccup replied gently as he continued to place kisses along her neck before finding the spot between her neck and shoulder, biting it a little; then licking and sucking on it. Vera quickly wrapped gripped Hiccup's shoulders at the feeling as she tried not to moan loudly. "Oh, so you like that?"

"Mmhm," Vera managed a nod as Hiccup kept it up for a bit. Hiccup decided to test the waters a little more by raising his hands to grope Vera's breasts; it surprised her. However, Vera couldn't deny how good it felt with Hiccup doing it to her. Hiccup gently slipped his hands under and up her shirt to massage Vera's boobs more, carefully playing with the nipples. "Oh, Hiccup…"

"I can do more if you want," Hiccup offered.

"Yes, please?" Vera smiled. Hiccup sat back on his knees and pulled Vera up with him as he pulled her shirt off of her, then leaned in to kiss her while unhooking her bra strap. The object came loose as Vera blushed instantly while Hiccup removed it from her body. Hiccup laid Vera back down, massaging one breast and lowering his mouth to the other. Hiccup sucked on the right boob a bit, then licked around the nipple. "Hiccup…Mmm," Hiccup kept this going for a minute, then switched to the do the same actions to the other side. "That…Feels good,"

"Glad you like it," Hiccup smiled. "Want to keep going?" Vera nodded to him as Hiccup kissed her passionately again, his hand trailing down her midsection and past the waistband of her pants and underwear, sliding his finger up and down her folds. "You're already wet," he said against her lips.

"D-Don't tease…" Vera whined. Hiccup played with her clit a little, moving his fingers down and teasing her core entrance before pushing his fingers in. "Ah! Hiccup!" she cried out in pleasure.

"Ssh…You don't want the others in here thinking I'm hurting you, do you?" Hiccup chuckled as Vera bit her bottom lip, shaking her head. Hiccup began pumping his 2 fingers in and out at a steady pace.

"Oh…Yes," Vera moaned. Hiccup continued his actions, picking up speed and force after a minute or so. "Ah…S-So good…" Vera captured Hiccup's lips with hers. "Can you do that eating out thing?" she asked with a faint blush. "I-I really liked that," Hiccup nodded as he withdrew his fingers and moved down a little until he was between Vera's legs. Hiccup pulled her pants and underwear down; then tossed them to the side. Hiccup laid down on his stomach, wrapped his legs around her legs, then moved his face closer to start licking up and down her pussy.

"Hiccup…Gods…" Vera breathed out while Hiccup didn't stop. Hiccup's tongue teased her entrance a few times, but otherwise stayed in the one place he knew from last time that drove Vera mad with pleasure; her clit. Hiccup swirled circles around the sensitive nub and sucked on it lightly. After a little of this; Hiccup released one of her legs as he turned onto his right side and slid his fingers into her core quickly. "Ah! Gods, yes!" she moaned, forgetting to keep her voice down. Hiccup only smiled; he knew Brynjar wouldn't let anyone enter.

Hiccup kept licking Vera's pussy, paying special attention to her clitoris while fingering her steadily. "Oh! It feels so good, Hiccup…" Vera gripped the bedsheets beneath her body. Hiccup started to move his fingers faster and harder while sucking her clit gently. "Hi-Hiccup! I-I'll cum if you do that!" Vera said quickly. Hiccup paused his mouth's movements for a moment, grinning at her almost.

"Cum for me then," Hiccup said as he dove back into eating her out hungrily, curving his fingers upward to stroke her G-spot.

"Ah! Ah…Hiccup…Gods, yes…Right there!" Vera cried out, her hips lifting a little. Hiccup started fingering her faster, harder, and deeper. "I'm…Cumming!" and seconds later, Vera moaned loudly; her body releasing its juices quickly. "Gods!" Hiccup pulled his fingers out as Vera squirted. Afterward, Vera breathed hard as Hiccup backed up and smiled down at her after wiping his mouth with his sleeve. Vera sat up, grabbing Hiccup's shirt and pulling him down onto the bed, but flipping, so she was on top now. Vera moved her hands down Hiccup's body, eventually pulling his shirt up and off of him.

Hiccup just sat back and let her do whatever she wanted to him; he knew she was curious. Vera reached Hiccup's pants and pulled them down along with his boxers carefully. Vera instantly saw Hiccup's hardened length spring up before her; she admired it for a moment before reaching her hand forward and start stroking up and down slowly.

"Am I doing it right?" Vera asked.

"You're fine; you can do whatever you feel comfortable doing, babe," Hiccup smiled as he laid back, relaxing and enjoying the touch from his girlfriend. Vera continued stroking as she remembered the video where she saw a girl give a boy a blowjob, and she wondered if Hiccup would like it. Vera moved herself a bit and got her mouth over Hiccup's length and lowered it enough to start licking the tip. Vera heard Hiccup breathe out; she looked to see him laying back with his eyes closed.

Vera opened her mouth more, careful of her teeth as she placed Hiccup's penis inside and started sucking up and down slowly.

"F-Fuck…" Hiccup moaned. Vera continued, moving a bit faster now. "That's the way…" Vera did this for about a minute; then started to move her hand up and down in time with the sucking. Vera picked up the pace a little more, hearing Hiccup's breathing start to quicken. Going on 3 minutes now; Vera adjusted her hand so that just her index, middle, and thumb were stroking Hiccup just under the head of his cock. "Gods!" Hiccup gripped the comforter with his hand, panting. "Almost there…" he managed. Vera began to go faster, applying just a bit more pressure with her fingers. Hiccup grit his teeth now. "Ver…I'm gonna cum,"

Vera pulled her mouth off, smiling. "Cum for me…" she said, still stroking his length until Hiccup's hips bucked a little and he released hard and fast.

"Odin above…" Hiccup breathed out, entirely relaxed. Vera giggled a little as she removed her hand, looking at her hand and how much cum was on it. Vera remembered from the video that the girl in it had swallowed the semen, but she didn't know if she was ready for that; yet, the temptation was there to taste what it was like. Vera brought her hand to her mouth, licking one of her fingers; it had a weird taste at first, but it wasn't awful. "Are you having fun?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"I was curious," Vera admitted.

"Yeah? Final verdict?" Hiccup inquired.

"Little bitter and salty, but a tiny bit sweet," Vera chuckled. "It's not bad," she got off the bed to grab a towel to clean her hand off, then passed it to Hiccup while he cleaned up. Vera was yawning, laying on the other side of the bed.

 **(Foreplay End)**

Hiccup returned the cloth to the hamper, then he looked over to see Vera fast asleep on his bed. Hiccup checked the time to see it as almost 10:45 pm. Hiccup pulled on his boxers and a pair of basketball shorts; then carefully covered Vera up as he laid down next to her after kissing her forehead. Hiccup smiled as he began to drift to sleep, loving how unbelievable it was with how much he loved this girl.


	46. Sooner Than I Thought

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Sooner Than I Thought

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Saturday, 5/12/2018-7:15 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

The Vikings were sitting in the silence of Hiccup's house and had been since about 6 am; it appeared Vera and Hiccup were still sleeping as they had been seen since last night. And Dagur confirmed that Vera never returned to the room through the night. The Vikings decided to watch a little TV, and of course, Brynjar wasn't over anymore; he left around 11 pm. Finally, Hiccup's bedroom door opened and he walked out wearing white, black, and gray shorts; they were loose and showed a little lower than Hiccup's hips.

"Good morning, son," Stoick greeted.

"Hi, dad," Hiccup yawned; the moved to the coffee maker and got it started.

"Where's Vera?" Viggo asked instantly.

"Still sleeping," Hiccup replied.

"So, what did you 2 do last night?" Snotlout asked.

"None of your business," Hiccup informed calmly.

"Well, everyone could hear it, so it's everyone's business at that point," Camicazi stated.

"Doesn't mean I have to tell you anything," Hiccup remarked.

"So you did do something?" Astrid accused with a grin.

"I never said we didn't; I just said it wasn't any of your business," Hiccup shrugged as he got his coffee mug, adding milk and sugar; then sitting down to take a few sips.

"Just tell them, Hiccup…" Vera mumbled from the doorway; she was only wearing Hiccup's long shirt and nothing underneath but underwear.

"Sleep well?" Hiccup asked her.

"After last night? Best sleep I've had in years," Vera smiled some. "I've never been so relaxed. How about you?"

"Slept well. I'm still trying to figure out what the fuck you did to make it feel that amazing," Hiccup chuckled. Vera came over, sitting in Hiccup's lap and kissing him lightly.

"I don't know, all I did was change what my hand was doing…It was starting to cramp, so I switched to using fingers," Vera shrugged. "Was it that good?"

"Would not have cum that fast if it wasn't. Good Odin woman, not even Olivia gave it to me that good," Hiccup admitted as Vera blushed red.

"I-I did better than she did?" Vera asked.

"By far," Hiccup nodded.

"Okay, did you two have sex last night?" Thuggory asked right now.

"Gods, no," Hiccup stated. "Just foreplay," he added. "And no one is asking any questions about it!" he glared upon seeing the group want to start asking Vera how it was with him.

"Can we just ask how it felt?" Heather wondered. "On Vera's side of things?"

"Up to you if you want to tell them," Hiccup kissed her cheek.

"Let's just say Hiccup is good with his tongue and fingers on sensitive parts," Vera giggled. Hiccup nearly spit out his coffee; he coughed hard. "You okay? What's wrong?"

"Just didn't think you'd be so straightforward with your response, Milady," Hiccup tried to catch his breath.

"Well, I wasn't wasn't going to lie to them," Vera shrugged.

"You want to share him with us?" Camicazi quirked her brows up and down.

"Excuse me? I'm not a frigging sex toy for your amusement," Hiccup said instantly. "You want a toy for pleasure; I know a store you can buy stuff from," he mumbled.

"It's okay, babe. Nobody is getting him because I'm not sharing," Vera said firmly.

"I love you," Hiccup smiled and kissed her.

"I love you too," Vera relaxed in his arms.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Sunday, 5/13/2018-3:30 pm]**_

Today was Mothers Day, and the Vikings recalled Hiccup telling them that this was a day to celebrate mothers all around the world. Kids and fathers would honor mothers who went through the pregnancy and birth to bring a child into the world; the continue to do everything she does for her family, but more her children. Hiccup decided to do something big for the women he knew who were mothers, so Kelda, Mari, and Katja; it was a big old party that everyone would get to enjoy and starting at 4 pm.

"Mom, just come over and stop worrying about what to bring…I took care of everything," Hiccup chuckled into his phone. "I'll see you soon, bye," he hung up with a smile.

Hiccup had cleaned the entire house by himself; he insisted on doing so. There was a whole spread of food on the dining room table along with cups, plates, napkins, and plastic utensils. Hiccup had drinks in coolers on the floor, and dessert items were in the fridge until later on.

"House looks good, Hiccup. Why didn't you let us help?" Signy asked.

"Eh, just kind of my thing. I like cleaning my own house; I know it gets done the way I like it," Hiccup shrugged.

"Knock, knock!" Katja called as she opened the door smiling wide. "Sorry, we're a bit early. Dagny was itching to see Valda and Halvor," she said gently.

"Oh, don't even worry about it. Happy Mother's Day, Kat," Hiccup hugged her carefully. "How's Rowan doing?"

"Great, just had a checkup last week. I'm 33 weeks and one day today," Katja giggled.

"Only seven weeks to go. Nervous yet?" Hiccup asked.

"A little, but I'll be alright; I got a lot of family and friends willing to help. Oh, and I hope you don't mind that I invited Ander?..." Katja said softly, blushing a little.

"Hey, I host these parties for everyone. Its just a day where you, your mom, and my mom are the centerpieces," Hiccup chuckled as Ander walked in with Brynjar; Dagny was in Ander's arms. Kelda and Brenden entered next.

"Hi, Kelda," Viggo greeted.

"Hi, Viggo," Kelda said gently as the two hugged and Viggo kissed her cheek.

"Hey, hey…None of that," Brenden growled.

"Brenden!" Kelda glared. "Stop it," she warned.

"But, Kel…" Brenden tried.

"I said; _enough_ ," Kelda stated firmly.

"Fine…" Brenden mumbled, not happy that his little sister was so close to Viggo again.

"Hey, Hic," Ander said as he set Dagny down, then went to connect hands with Hiccup. Brynjar did the same afterward.

"I told the boys they could stop by if they wanted to," Brynjar informed.

"Cool, hope they can come. My parents and siblings are on their way," Hiccup replied.

"Sweet," Brynjar said. Dagny went to play, but Hiccup stopped her.

"Hey, where's my hug and kiss?" Hiccup asked. Dagny laughed as she lifted her arms up and Hiccup picked her up and hugged her tightly. Dagny held Hiccup's face and nuzzled her nose to his a few time. "I love you, Princess,"

"I wove you too, Unka!" Dagny replied before Hiccup set her down and she rushed to play with Halvor and Valda.

"You're going to make such a great father, Hiccup," Katja said with a smile. However, Hiccup's faded a little as he sighed. Katja instantly remembered that Hiccup was almost a father until the truth came out; he'd been so excited to be one too. "Oh, Hiccup…I'm sorry; I wasn't thinking,"

"No, it's…Okay. I'm fine," Hiccup replied softly, moving to the kitchen to grab a few more appetizers to put on the table.

"Hey, come on, bro…You'll get your chance," Ander offered.

"Chance for what?" Mari's voice came through.

"Hi, Mom. Happy Mother's Day, and to you as well, Kelda," Hiccup informed.

"Thank you, son," Mari hugged Hiccup and kissed his cheek. "Now, what all this about you getting your chance?"

"It's nothing, Ma," Hiccup told her.

"You know I know you better than that, Hiccup. Come on; I can see it in your eyes," Mari smiled.

"Kat made a comment about Hiccup would be a good father, and he got a little upset," Brynjar said.

"I didn't…Get upset, Bryn," Hiccup muttered. "Just the fantasy that I thought I would be one, and the reality that it was never there at all,"

"Oh, son…You'll get your chance, just as Ander said. Perhaps it just wasn't the right time, or with the right person," Henrik offered.

"Thanks, dad. I know I will be a father one day, just probably not for a while," Hiccup stated.

"You never know, Hiccup," Britta giggled. "Sometimes these things just happen,"

"Well, not to be that guy here, but it wouldn't even be remotely possible without having sex, and I'm not," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"But you will eventually," Katja said.

"Okay, can we drop this subject please?" Hiccup mumbled.

"Britta…" Henrik warned as Britta looked at him and he was shaking his head to stop. Britta understood that the subject of fatherhood was still sensitive to Hiccup.

"It'll happen when it happens, and that's all it matters," Mari said. "So, what do you say we get this party started?"

"As you're my mother; you're the guest of honor, so that call is up to you. My house is just the location," Hiccup reminded.

"Then kick on that music, boy," Mari demanded.

"Aye, ma'am," Hiccup reached for the remote to turn the radio on. "Oldies, just for you,"

"Did you just call me old?" Mari arched a brow.

"Your words, not mine," Hiccup shrugged with a smile. "I said nothing; I just know these are your favorites. Besides, they're only old to me or others in my age range,"

"Am I allowed to request songs?" Mari inquired.

"Sure," Hiccup changed it over to the Bluetooth where he could control it from his phone.

"And you sing one for me?" Mari pushed.

"Now you're pushing it," Hiccup grumbled.

"You said it was my call…" Mari reminded.

"Why me?" Hiccup asked.

"Because you sing so well," Lilly giggled.

"And I hate doing it," Hiccup huffed.

"But I'm your mother, you love me, and this is what I'm asking for, so you'll do it for me, won't you?" Mari put her hands together, pleaded.

"Fine…ONE song, your pick. Please don't let it be something I have to kill my voice to do," Hiccup sighed as he handed her his phone. Mari excitedly sat down and started scrolling through songs. Hiccup only shook his head as the door opened again to reveal Jolgeir, Sigvard, Oivind, Davyn, and Eirik.

"Have we missed much?" Sigvard asked.

"Nope, hasn't even started yet because Mari wants Hiccup to sing," Ander chuckled.

"Oh, good timing then," Eirik smiled.

"I don't see why all you of you enjoy it so much," Hiccup stated.

"Because you sing good, big brother. We know you hate it, but you sing good," Britta laughed.

"Says your opinion," Hiccup muttered.

"As the people who have to listen to it, ours is the only one that matters," Lukas snickered as Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I found one!" Mari announced, handing the phone back. Hiccup glanced at it and mumbled again. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door as Hiccup looked towards it. Hiccup opened the door to reveal two police officers; this made Hiccup a little nervous.

"Can I help you?" Hiccup asked calmly.

"May we come in?" the male on the left said. Hiccup stepped aside and allowed them to enter as he closed the door.

"We apologize for any interruptions. I am Officer Hans Norup, and this is Officer Marius Riber. You are Hiccup Haddock, yes?" Hans questioned.

"That is correct," Hiccup nodded. "What can I do for you officers?"

"You may want to sit down, Mr. Haddock," Marius said now.

"I think I would prefer to stand, thank you," Hiccup informed.

Hans sighed and looked at Hiccup sympathetically. "Mr. Haddock, we have come to inform you that your wife, Olivia Haddock, has passed away," the words hit Hiccup like a pile of bricks as he found his legs going weak. Sigvard was up first and closest to make sure Hiccup didn't lose his balance and fall.

"Wh-What?" Hiccup forced out.

"Hiccup, hey…Sit down," Sigvard instructed as he backed Hiccup to a place he could sit on. "Take a few breaths…" Henrik was next over with a water bottle.

"She's my…Ex-wife; we divorced back in March. But I…I-I don't understand. I-I just saw her on the 27th…" Hiccup managed to say. "What happened? What was the cause?"

"According to on-scene paramedics; your ex-wife passed away from Amniotic Fluid Embolism," Hans said softly.

"Is that not when there are ruptures where amniotic fluid enters the bloodstream of the mother during final stages of labor and causes a reaction in which the heart and lung collapse, and massive bleeding?" Mari stood quickly.

"That is correct, Ma'am," Marius nodded. "Are you a doctor?"

"Home care, yes," Mari nodded. "Hiccup is my adopted son,"

"Ms. Haddock passed away after giving birth at home by herself; we responded to a call from a neighbor who heard screaming and a baby crying; then everything fell quiet. Upon entering, we found Ms. Haddock on the floor, already gone and holding the child in her arms," Hans explained as Hiccup was just sitting there, trying to take it in. Olivia was dead; she'd given birth at home, alone, with no medical care…And died.

"How long ago did this happen?" Kelda inquired.

"We received the call not more than half an hour ago from the neighbor. The screaming was reported to begin a little after 3, and then the crying began at 3:25. It continued for a few minutes, and then everything fell quiet. Neighbors tried to knocked and check in, but nobody answered. The crying started again, and that is when we were called to investigate," Marius informed gently.

Hiccup hadn't said anything; his hands were together, and his head was down before he took a deep breath. "Why was Hiccup informed?" Henrik asked.

"As we understand; her parents and little brother passed away on the 25th of April in a tragic car accident, and there is no other family to contact. Given Ms. Haddock's last name of Haddock; our records show she was married to Mr. Haddock, as such; it-," Marius started.

Hiccup sighed. "It makes me next of kin by default,"

"Will you be handling the arrangements?" Hans questioned softly.

"Yes, I'll take care of it," Hiccup nodded.

"We'll need for you to identify Ms. Haddock. I'm…Sure you know-," Hans said.

"That it's protocol…Yes, I do," Hiccup stood up now. "Let's go," he added. The officers nodded quietly and headed for the door to exit Henrik stopped Hiccup.

"Son? Are you alright?" Henrik asked his hands on Hiccup's shoulders.

"I-I don't know right now, dad…I-I can't even begin to process what I'm feeling at the moment. My ex-wife is dead, the baby…Just…I don't know," Hiccup admitted.

"Hiccup, you know you don't have to do this," Brynjar reminded.

"Yes, I do…I'm the only one who legally can as her ex-husband; she doesn't have any family left. Someone has to identify the body, and sign off for it to get released for the service and funeral," Hiccup said quietly, almost sadly. Hiccup didn't say anything else as he pulled away from Henrik; then left the house after grabbing his phone and wallet.

"You realize he's upset about this, don't you?" Mari said to her husband.

"Of course I do, Mar," Henrik sighed.

"What can we do?" Vera inquired.

"Nothing right now. We'll have to wait for Hiccup to get back," Mari frowned. "Regardless of what Olivia did to Hiccup; he still loved her, and this is going to affect him; we just don't know how much yet or if he's going to be okay,"

"We'll be here for him," Ander stated firmly.

"We won't let him fall," Sigvard added.

 **. . .**

 _ **[5:00 pm]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Hospital]_

Unfortunately, the first stop for Hiccup hadn't been the hospital; it was Olivia's house to collect a few things such as the final will. Despite the divorce, Hiccup still knew Olivia had one and where it was. Following this was arriving at the hospital and being taken by Marius to the nursery in Labor and Delivery. The officer explained things, and Hiccup knew this was wrong; he should have been honest and stated the baby was not his, but something drew him to have to see this child, so for now; he would keep his mouth shut.

"I see. I'm very sorry for your loss, Mr. Haddock," the lead nurse said sympathetically. "But perhaps I have some news that can cheer you up," she added as Hiccup looked at her. "Your baby is perfectly healthy. Born, to reports, at 3:25 pm today, May 13th, 2018 at exactly 40 weeks. The weight is 19 ½ inches and 6.95 pounds; she's perfect,"

"She?" Hiccup asked slowly.

"Yes, you have a little girl, Mr. Haddock. Would you like to see her?" the nurse inquired with a slight smile. Hiccup forced a nod as the nurse led him inside the nursery and over to one of the rolling carts with the clear, open box on top. The first thing Hiccup saw was the identification card saying; _Baby Haddock_. Then the date of birth, height, weight, and time born; the card was pink. However, then his eyes fell on the newborn sleeping peacefully, wrapped in a pink blanket with a white cap on the head.

"You're free to take her home this evening, Mr. Haddock; we did a full examination. Good height and weight, she took her first bottle with no problems, passed her hearing and eye tests; she's perfect as I said," the nurse added now.

"I'm afraid I have a confession to make," Hiccup said softly. "The child is not mine. Yes, Olivia is my ex-wife, but the baby she carried belonged to another man. We divorced because she was unfaithful and was impregnated by another,"

"I see…Who is the father?" the nurse inquired.

"Dane Jakobsen…But he's in prison for the next 30 years," Hiccup informed sadly; his eyes never left the infant, and his heart went out for her. "There is no other family she can go to either. The Holgerson and Jakobsen families have ended if it can be said that way…" Hiccup knew this little girl would never know her father, or mother, uncle, grandparents…Even Dane's family was all gone. This child had nobody. "She'll…Go to an orphanage, won't she?" he asked quietly. The nurse watched Hiccup; he was falling in love with this child even though it wasn't his.

"As far as I'm concerned; she's yours, Mr. Haddock," the nurse stated as Hiccup looked at her instantly. "I know how a loving father looks when he sees his baby for the first time; you may not be this child's biological father, but you have the look of a man who is ready to take on fatherhood because he would do anything for his daughter,"

"That…May be so, but I cannot just take her…" Hiccup replied, shocked to hear the nurse say such a thing to him.

"So there's a little paperwork involved in a formal adoption, but I see no reason why she can't leave here with you tonight," the nurse said while walking over to the phone. "You are legally next of kin to your ex-wife; I don't believe the courts will argue, and there is an office within the hospital which will take care of all this now. If you would like this little girl, Mr. Haddock; I can make the call right now,"

Hiccup thought about it for a moment. Could he? Could he take this child that was Olivia and Dane's baby made from lustful, horny, sex sessions between them? Could Hiccup raise this child as his? The baby he thought was his back in November? Hiccup reached his hand into the box and grazed his finger over the infant's soft, small hand. The child began to awake, and her eyes met his; she had mixed blue and brown eyes, then brown hair. No matter how this child came to be in the world; he wanted her in his life.

"I want her," Hiccup said as he felt the baby's hand grip his finger. The nurse lifted the phone and dialed someone as Hiccup found a small smile on his lips. _I guess I just became a father sooner than I thought_.


	47. I Promise For You

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

I Promise For You

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 5/13/2018-5:30 pm]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Hospital]_

"Mr. Haddock?" came a female voice from behind which quickly shook me to focus once more; I'd been zoned in on the newborn daughter to my ex-wife that I was about to take custody of. I turned slowly and faced the female. "Hi, I'm Emma Stone; I work for the adoption agency,"

"Hiccup Haddock," I shook her hand gently.

"I understand you are the ex-husband of this child's recently deceased mother, Olivia Haddock?" Emma inquired gently.

"I am," I nodded.

"And this child is not yours with her, but the biological father is in prison?" Emma asked now.

"Correct," I replied.

"And there is no other family?" Emma wondered.

"I'm afraid not," I shook my head to her softly.

"Than this does legally make you next of kin to take custody of the child. Normally; we have to run financials, background checks, and a vast collection of other things before doing this process, but thankfully; you are military, and with a quick little phone call, I have everything I need to make the decision that you this is acceptable," Emma informed. I breathed a sigh of relief hearing that.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Now, it's just some forms that I will file first thing tomorrow morning, and this will make you this child's legal guardian and adoptive father with full rights as if she were your biological daughter," Emma smiled. "I believe the only thing I need to know is what you'll be naming her?"

I smiled now as the perfect name came to mind, boy this was going to a huge shock and surprise to my family back home, but how could I not do this? Olivia would want anyone else raising her child; I kind'a felt like I had to do this and I wanted to as well.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[7:30 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

"He's been gone for 3 ½ hours…" Mari sighed sadly.

"I'm sure he's probably just taking a little time to himself, Love," Henrik assured, rubbing her shoulders. "Despite what happened; he did love her, and learning she's passed so suddenly has got to be taking its toll,"

"And we never learned what happened to the baby; the officers didn't say," Katja frowned.

"Perhaps because they knew the shock of finding out that Olivia died that it might not be good to mention the baby yet," Brynjar shrugged. Headlights were seen pulling up outside. "In either case, it looks like he's home and we should rush or crowd him," The sound of doors shutting were heard and then voices. The garage door opened as Hiccup and an officer came in carrying a crib.

"Um?" Britta pointed and followed the trail as Hiccup, and Officer Hans transported the light brown crib into Hiccup's bedroom. After that, the two left and returned 10 minutes later with a light brown changing table and dresser combination. Following that by 8pm were some boxes of wipes, diapers, and a bunch of other baby things.

"I think that's everything, Mr. Haddock," Hans smiled.

"Thanks so much," Hiccup smiled, shaking his hand. Hiccup left with him, and then returned alone with an infant carrier as everyone's eyes widened. Hiccup set the car seat down on the counter and pulled back the shade and handle, unclipped the straps and lifted a newborn from the carrier and settled the sleeping baby in his arms.

"Now…Son, we know how badly you want to be a father…But kidnapping from the hospital nursery is illegal, and you will end up arrested…" Henrik began.

"Relax, dad…I didn't do anything illegal…It's mine," Hiccup sat in his chair, rocking it a bit with one foot. "This is Olivia's baby,"

"Okay…I'm glad the baby is alright, but you still took it…And it's not yours. Are you…Feeling alright, Hiccup? Did you have some…Psychotic break because you're honestly creeping me right the fuck out," Sigvard asked. Hiccup laughed a little.

"She's mine now…" Hiccup said as he moved some of the blanket out of the way. "Sit down…I'll explain," Quietly, everyone sat down and just stared at the infant in Hiccup's arms. "This is the newborn daughter of Olivia and Dane," he began. "Olivia gave birth alone at her house, and passed quickly from the Amniotic Fluid Embolism; she had enough time to pull the baby into her arms and keep it warm until paramedics and police arrived, but sadly, she died before they could arrive, and there would not have been much they could do to save her,"

"Yes, I know how AFE works…" Kelda nodded. Mari agreed too.

"Well, the baby was taken to the hospital in Copenhagen to be examined, and the only reason the cops didn't tell me was that they weren't sure on the baby's status since they came to inform me of the death," Hiccup said.

"Alright, following so far and makes sense…" Oivind mentioned slowly.

"When I left with the cops; I asked them to stop at Olivia's house so I can get her last will and testament for arranging the funeral. Then we went to the hospital, I identified her body; then they asked me if I wanted to see my child. I kind of felt compelled to do it, so I went with them to the 2nd floor, Labor and Delivery, into the nursery. The cop explained everything, and the lead nurse took me to where this little girl was. The nurse told me she was perfect, and I could take her home tonight," Hiccup continued.

"And you did tell them that this wasn't your child, right?" Mari asked.

"Of course I did, and also mentioned that Olivia and Dane both have no family left on either side and that Dane is in prison. So the nurse tells me that as Olivia's ex-husband…I'm next of kin and can take the baby," Hiccup smiled a little.

"So…She's yours now?" Heather asked.

"But there's…Something I don't understand, and I hope you won't get mad at me for this," Katja said softly. "Technically…The little girl is Dagny's half-sister. Next of kin would have been my family and me,"

"To be entirely honest, Kat; I didn't think about it at the time because of something the nurse said to me when I was looking in the cart-crib thing," Hiccup admitted.

"And what did the nurse say, son?" Henrik questioned.

"The only thing I had asked was if this little girl would go to an orphanage, and the head nurse of the nursery said; _I know how a loving father looks when he sees his baby for the first time. You may not be this child's biological father, but you have the look of a man who is ready to take on fatherhood because he would do anything for his daughter_. I stated that just because I looked like a worried first-time father didn't mean I could take the child home with me, and she just smiled and said; _so there's a little paperwork involved in a formal adoption, but I see no reason why you can't_ ,"

"Hiccup…Di-Did you adopt her?" Brynjar inquired.

Hiccup nodded. "The nurse asked me if I wanted to adopt her, and the baby woke up, looked at me and held my finger…So I just said I want her. Adoption agent woman came up, did a little paperwork…And now she's mine,"

"Son…I have to ask this. You divorced Olivia over cheating and lying to you about this baby being yours, why would you adopt it if you sent Olivia and this child away before it had been born?" Henrik inquired.

"I divorced her for lying to and cheating on me, yes…But why should the baby have to suffer for the mother's or father's choices? I knew she could have gone to Kat, but I figured Kat already has her hands full with Dagny and soon to be Rowan," Hiccup said quietly, his eyes never leaving the infant in his arms.

"Eh, he's not wrong…" Katja shrugged a little.

"Maybe I did it because for a few weeks before the truth came out…I believed this was my baby, and when the chance arose that I could adopt her as mine; I-I took it. I never held anything against the baby; I was mad at Olivia and Dane…But what this sweet, innocent little girl do wrong? I just…I can't explain it, Dad; I just knew and felt like I couldn't walk away," Hiccup finished what he was saying before Katja interjected.

A few others went to say something, but Mari put her hand up as she saw the way Hiccup was looking at the newborn girl with such love and affection. "Is this really what you want to do, Hiccup?" Mari questioned. Hiccup nodded to her. Mari smiled now. "Well, then I think you should introduce her to the family,"

"You don't think what I did was wrong?" Hiccup asked.

"Heavens no, son," Mari cupped his cheek a little. " Olivia has passed, and we know from what you've said that Dane didn't want this baby anyway; he told Olivia to pass it off as yours. So in my eyes; you did exactly what would have happened if the truth hadn't come out. You're still raising a baby that was meant to be played off as yours, and now she is yours. And it makes you more of a man that you stepped up and decided not to hold the child's true parents against it; you thought of only the baby in this situation; that alone makes you the real father," Mari smiled.

"Your mother is right, son," Henrik agreed. "What your mother is saying is that even if the truth didn't come out, and Olivia still passed away; you would have still raised this little girl as yours. And maybe the truth would have come out later down the line, but would it have changed anything for you? Would you still love this baby unconditionally?"

"Of course…Just because I didn't help make her doesn't change the fact I would have raised her and done everything a father is supposed to do…" Hiccup replied.

"Then that's all that matters. You knew the truth before this baby was born and in the face of things…You still took her in as yours. Now, I think we should get to meet this little girl," Henrik put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

Hiccup smiled broadly now. "Everyone; this Emma Liv Haddock,"

"She's beautiful," Lilly giggled. "And I love that name,"

"So, not to be that guy here, but uh…What are you gonna do about missions, Hiccup?" Sigvard asked.

"Oh, don't be silly, Sigvard. Hiccup has plenty of people who are willing to lend a hand and watch the baby while he's away. Plenty of other military families can handle it, so can we," Britta informed. "I'm more than happy to babysit,"

"Thanks, guys," Hiccup said lightly.

"Oh, can I hold her, son? Please?" Mari asked.

"Sure, mom," Hiccup nodded as Mari sat back some and Hiccup handed Emma over to her. Mari just about cried at being able to hold a baby again.

"Oh, I want another one," Mari whined.

"NO!" Henrik, Hagen, Britta, Lilly, and Lukas yelled quickly as Hiccup tried to restrain himself from laughing out loud. Instantly, Emma spat out her binky and began to cry. "Oops,"

"Oh, no…Don't cry, sweetie…" Mari tried to give the pacifier back and rock the baby to sleep, but she wasn't having it. Hiccup pressed something on his phone, and then placed it on the table as the music began playing. Hiccup moved towards his mother, and lifted Emma into his arms gently; then began swaying and rocking her lightly.

"Ssh now…Daddy's here," Hiccup soothed as he got Emma to take the binky again; Hiccup started singing, placing his finger near her hand as she grasped it. Hiccup smiled as Emma just stared up at him, entirely calm and still holding Hiccup's finger. The rest of the Vikings were shocked but could see how much love Hiccup had for this little girl, and he'd do anything for her despite that she wasn't his blood child. For Stoick; it warmed his heart and made him proud to see the man Hiccup had become in only 8 years. What hurt for Stoick was knowing that he didn't do anything to contribute to Hiccup's teachings on life, or growing up.

Vera loved this. Sure, they'd heard Hiccup sing before, but last time it was with Valda when she was watching My Little Pony. This song, Hiccup picked it specifically for his daughter, and he didn't have the original artist singing behind him. Hiccup knew every chord, tone, and word; he sang in perfectly. Hiccup finished the song as it was clear to see that Emma was fast asleep in his arms again. **(Song was "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins.)**

"Well, we know who the favorite is," Signy giggled a little.

"She's a daddy's girl for sure," Brenna agreed.

"I always said he'd made a good father," Vera stood next to Hiccup now; her hand on his shoulder as she up and kissed his cheek. "I'm proud of you, Hiccup,"

"Thanks…" Hiccup smiled gently as he went to put Emma into her crib which was set up in his bedroom. Afterward; he returned and set down the baby monitor on the table beside his chair. Hiccup pulled over another bag that had been brought in. "Guess I should go through all this,"

"What is it?" Eret wondered.

"Well, we stopped at Olivia's on the way to the hospital so I could get the will, and then we stopped again after the hospital so I could get all the baby stuff. Olivia already had a nursery prepared, so I took the essential things I'd need for Emma. This is the diaper bag Olivia prepared to go to the hospital with, but it looks like it has other things in it, so I should probably go through them,"

Hiccup opened it up and start taking things out, most of it was baby items like bottles, bibs, burp rags, binkies, clothes, diapers, wipes, little toys approved for Emma's age of 0-3 months. However, in the front side pocket; Hiccup found a folded piece of paper with his name on it. "What's that?" Gobber inquired.

Hiccup unfolded it as his eyes fall somewhat sad. "It's…From Olivia to me…" Hiccup finally replied after opening it up and recognizing her handwriting right away.

"What does it say?" Astrid asked now.

Stoick cleared his throat and shook his head at Astrid and the rest of the Hooligan Vikings. "That is his business," he stated firmly. Hiccup read the letter silently to himself.

 _Dear Hiccup,  
If you're reading this letter; then I have already passed away giving birth. I'm not sure why I've passed, but something feels wrong as I near the end of labor, which began so suddenly; it took me by surprise, and I just collapsed. I couldn't reach my phone, and everything happened so fast. I'm tired and feel myself getting weaker as I draw closer to pushing._

 _I've left this note for you because I know that as my ex-husband, you will be notified of my death. You know where to find my last will and testament and this letter will be something you find because you check everything and I left it in an obvious place, next to my body. I've taken care of all my funeral arrangements, so you don't have to pay anything to lay me to rest. The car, and anything in the house you want; you're free to take. Donate anything else, or save them for the baby if he or she survives. I know I've said it several times, but you will never know how sorry I am for breaking my vows and sleeping with Dane._

 _You're right; I never should have agreed to sleep with Dane. I should have told you the truth after the drunken accident. Dane was mean and often times forced me to have sex with him. I did agree to most, but there were times that Dane just forced me. I was afraid to tell you because I figured you'd tell me it wasn't an excuse, but I was scared he would hurt me if I told you. He told me he warned Katja of the same thing too; if she told anyone or tried to leave, he would hurt her._

 _I'm sorry that I hurt you by being unfaithful and lying to you about the baby. Dane told me to get an abortion or say it was yours but he wouldn't claim it as his. I couldn't do an abortion because something I never told you was that when I was younger; I was told I might never be able to have kids. And when I got pregnant; I couldn't risk not being able to have another child. So I am so sorry, Hiccup. I truly am._

 _I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but if the baby survives, will you please adopt it? I know it's not yours, but you loved knowing I was pregnant before the truth came out; you were so ready to be a father, and I took that away from you. So please, adopt the baby, and give he or she the life she deserves. I trust no one else with my child but you, Hiccup; I know you can provide the baby the best life with lots of love an attention. You wanted this baby before everything happened, and I know it's not yours, but she deserves to have a loving father, and in my eyes; that is you. Please, just give the baby a good life for me? That's all I ask, Hiccup._

 _Anyway, I better go. I just wanted you to know all this before I pass. You deserved the truth, and I'm sorry for everything I put you through. I realized we weren't meant to be when I got drunk and slept with Dane; I guess I loved you so much, though, that I didn't want to lose you. And I hoped that because we were happy, so it'd be enough. But I was wrong. Maybe that's just it; we loved one another, but we weren't in love. People in love don't hurt each other. I hope you will meet someone who gives you all the love and happiness you deserve. I love you, Hiccup Haddock, always and forever._

 _Sincerely,  
Olivia Holgerson-Haddock_

Hiccup had read it to himself, saddened and shocked by everything. Dane had been threatening Olivia to sleep with him, even though there were times she just agreed because she wanted to do it with Hiccup deployed. And the thing about Olivia possibly not being able to have kids, which is why she didn't get the abortion and continued to play it off as Hiccup's because she was afraid she wouldn't get pregnant again, and ruin Hiccup's chance of being a father. Olivia assumed that she and Hiccup could just raise the baby together, and everything be fine. And on top of all that; Olivia asked him to adopt the baby, the child he adopted before ever seeing this letter from her.

"Hiccup? Are you alright?" Vera asked softly from beside him; she hadn't seen the letter, but she felt a sudden sadness coming from her boyfriend.

"What did she say?" Henrik inquired. Hiccup carefully held the letter over as he heard Emma crying on the monitor; then he got up to check on her. Henrik read over the letter slowly and sighed.

"What does it say, Henrik?" Brynjar asked.

"All you need to know is that this was Olivia's final apology and goodbye to Hiccup, and it hurts him more than even he anticipated it would to know she's no longer with us," Henrik informed as he looked at the baby monitor and everyone was quiet.

" _I'm sorry, but I will make one final vow to you; I will take care of and protect your daughter with my life. I promise this, for you,"_ came Hiccup's voice, but it was cracked, and they all knew that meant Hiccup was crying in his bedroom. Olivia's death hurt him deeply, but that was to be expected; he had loved her, and now she was dead. Hiccup never hated Olivia, just what she'd done to him. It hurts to lose someone you love, and Vera, at least, could tell that Hiccup never stopped loving Olivia. No matter what he said; part of him would always love and care for her. Especially now that Olivia had died. Vera was no upset about it, how could she be? All Vera wanted to was be at Hiccup's side and help in any way she could. 


	48. What I Needed

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

What I Needed

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Thursday, 5/17/2018-3:30 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

I'll be the first to admit that being a father is hard. It's been four days since I adopted Emma as my daughter, and I'm still trying to get used to everything it involves. I was ready to be a father, that's what I always said after marrying Olivia; we wanted kids so badly, a big family. However, learning what I did on Mother's Day when Olivia passed; Olivia knew she might not be able to have children, and when she got pregnant with Dane's child, she feared not being able to conceive again. And she worried that we wouldn't be able to have a family, and she knew I wanted one. And in all that; Olivia asked me to adopt her daughter because she knew I'd fallen in love with the idea of being a dad when I found out she was pregnant before discovered that there was no way the baby could be mine. The only thing I thought when I saw Olivia's daughter in the hospital was that I couldn't let the chance slip away. So I adopted her long before I even got Olivia's letter to me.

Maybe I was always meant to be this child's father; it just happened differently than the standard way of two people who love one another make love and create a baby. Perhaps I didn't help make this little girl, but I loved her no differently than if I had. And I know I don't regret my time with Olivia; I think I just said because of how strong my feeling for Vera were. Without Olivia; I never would have gotten to experience what having a crush, liking, and loving someone was like. And without knowing those feelings; I wouldn't have known how much stronger falling and being in love felt. No, I don't regret anything with Olivia; if we were meant to be, she'd still be here, and we'd be together. But I think I am meant to be Emma's father, adoptive, but still, her dad since Dane never wanted her.

The last few days have been hard, and I need time to myself after reading Olivia's letter. I think by 9 pm everyone, but the Vikings left. I only remember that because Mari told me to keep them updated on funeral arrangements. That's what I've been working on while taking care of Emma; I'm still getting used to the late nights, random feedings, and all that. I'm working on getting Emma onto a schedule that works for me. Olivia did take care of everything; I just had to go over it with the funeral director, and the day chosen to do everything was today, the 17th of May. Olivia's will revealed that all her money and a few other specific things were left to her child, so I've secured those until Emma is of age.

I also spent the 15th and 16th taking care of things in Olivia's house. I donated all the clothes to shelters and unprivileged children. I grabbed things I knew were sentimental, maybe Emma would like them one day. I found mine and Olivia's rings, and our wedding album; both objects were back in the wedding storage boxes. But I had the rings; I knew what I was doing with them. I donated furniture, utensils, plates, cups, and what not to consignment shops. As for pictures and personal things; I had all of it put away in boxes. When Emma was older; I'd tell her about her mother and what an amazing woman she was. I wouldn't mention anything more than that; she didn't need to know about Dane, and if it came up, I wouldn't lie to her that Dane didn't want her, so I raised her after her mother died giving birth to her. I didn't want Emma to think I didn't love Olivia; I did love her, until the very end as I'd promised. I said I'd love her until death do us part…And I have kept that vow. And even after death; I don't think I'll ever truly stop loving her.

And what helped a lot was that Vera said she understood and didn't hold it against me. We spoke about it on the 14th when she came to check on me in the morning when I hadn't come out of my bedroom yet; I was just sitting on the bed and watching Emma sleep. I was lucky to have someone so understanding in my life, and it seemed everyone else was giving me my space and being sympathetic. Had to admit it, but it was nice to see the Vikings be something other than hard asses.

I set the service for Olivia at 4 pm; it wouldn't take long, and then the funeral for 4:30. As expected or most do; I was holding an after party for anyone who wanted to come. I was sure some friends and coworkers of Olivia's would show up, but other than that; they'd be mostly people I know. Right now, I was at home with Emma, Vera, and the Vikings. I figured I should feed and change Emma now, and then she'd likely sleep through everything until we got back to the house.

"Is this attire okay?" Vera asked as I quickly looked up from feeding Emma. I saw the group wearing nice pants with shirts tucked in, nice shoes. The girls were in nice pants, blouse, and flats or heels.

"Yeah, that's fine," I nodded softly.

"Do you want me to finish feeding Emma so you can change?" Vera inquired.

"No, it's okay. I got it," I replied while looking back down at my daughter. The bottle was almost gone; I only fed Emma the 4-ounce bottles right now; Katja told me that babies up to 2 months would likely take 2-4 ounces every 3-4 hours. As I said; I was working on getting Emma onto a schedule for feedings. I'm hoping to see if it sticks by next week. My mom said to give it about that long, so I would. Right now, Emma had gotten through about ½ her bottle, so I pulled it from her mouth and propped her up to burp her. After a few tries; I got her to do it twice. I eased Emma back down and started feeding her the rest.

At 3:40, it seemed that Emma was done eating. I burped her again; then changed her diaper and clothes. I set Emma in her car seat, and buckled her in with the pacifier; she began to drift off to sleep. I moved into my room and briskly changed into my pants, shirt, and socks. Coming out I sat down to get on my shoes and tied my tie in place. "Let's load up," I sighed. I didn't want to do this; I really didn't. Not because Olivia is my ex-wife, but because it's another funeral and I'm leading it. Everyone headed outside as I got the infant carrier and we headed for the truck.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4 pm]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Vestre Cemetery]_

I was standing next to the casket as friends, co-workers, and others I didn't really know, but they knew Olivia and her family. I had Emma sleeping next to me in her infant seat while I shook peoples hands, took the hugs, learned a bunch of names I'd likely never remember because I wouldn't see a lot of these people again after today. When all of that was over; I finally got to sit down while the pastor spoke of Olivia's life for a few minutes. I was supposed to speak, but I didn't know what I could say. So I just asked if the priest would do all the talking, and I used the too emotionally distraught to get up there card to get out of it. I didn't care if it made me a bad person, but after how things ended between Olivia and I…There was nothing I could say to ease any pain for others in attendance…Or even to myself.

By 4:45 pm we were moving to the burial plot. My friends; Brynjar, and the Strike Unit boys were pole bearers for me. I owed them. I walked behind with Emma in my arms as she started to wake while in the carrier. I wanted this to be over; I didn't know why it hurt so much to be burying my ex-wife, but it did. I wanted to cry, and I really didn't know how much longer I could hold back the tears. Sitting in the front row while the priest spoke again, I felt a wetness begin to drip down my cheeks. I realized I'd begun crying while this ceremony was coming to a close. I held Emma close and lowered my head. I felt a hand on my shoulder as I looked over to see Henrik there.

"Don't hold it in," Henrik whispered. I cried. I didn't know what else do to, so I cried. Henrik wrapped his arms around me as my head ended up on his shoulder and I let the tears fall. "It's okay, son. You're allowed to be upset. Regardless of what happened; you did love her, and you're allowed to be upset knowing she's gone…" After that; I felt another hand hold mine. I cast a quick peek over and saw Vera sitting next to me, holding my hand tightly with a soft smile.

"It's okay," Vera said quietly. I wasn't sobbing, but I couldn't seem to stop the slow tears falling rolling down. By 4:35, everything was over. I took a minute to wipe my eyes and calm down with a few breaths. "You alright? Can I get you anything?" she asked lightly.

"I think I just need a hug," I tried to smile. Vera got up and hugged me tightly after Henrik moved away to let her in. "Thanks,"

"Any time," Vera replied. "Everything will be alright and don't worry about if you're upset over losing her and hurting me. I won't hold it against you to mourn Hiccup," she added.

"I…Really appreciate at that, Vera. Seriously. The last thing I wanna do is hurt you with me mourning my ex-wife…" I sighed. "Honestly; I don't even know why it hurts so much. I cried when she broke my heart by cheating, I cried when I left her…And now I cry when I've lost her? I swear I don't even understand me sometimes,"

"First of all; it's different kinds of pain, Hiccup. You were heartbroken when you learned she was unfaithful and the baby wasn't yours. Secondly, despite all that; you still loved and cared for her and said you always would. Thirdly; you were given the gift of fatherhood by this woman, even if Emma is not biologically yours. You stepped up and stepped in when needed. Of course, it hurts to know that you became a father after her death with her baby girl. Lastly, no matter anything else, babe…You're allowed to feel whatever you want to feel; you don't have to have an explanation for it. So don't worry about me; I'm not hurt, Hiccup. I just want to be here for you," Vera kissed my cheek, but I turned my head and let my lips fall on hers. Vera blushed a little, and the kiss ended almost as soon as it started.

"I'm lucky to have such an understanding girlfriend. Thank you, Vera," I informed.

"Hey…I try to be everything you need," Vera shrugged a little.

"You don't have to try very hard, Milady," I smiled some as Vera blushed a little more. I held Emma in my left arm while using my right hand to hold Vera's left. "Come on, let's get home; there's still an after party to be had," I added. Vera nodded.

 **. . .**

 _ **[5:00 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Reaching home with the Vikings; I set Emma in her crib to sleep while I quickly met with the caterers to set the food up for the party. I made sure everything was in place as guests began arriving for 5 pm. Of course, they were all people I knew. The Oliversens, The Andersons, Eira, Frode, and Frieda. The Vikings were part of anything I did nowadays, so they were present too. Brynjar and Strike Unit were usually also always a part of the big events I did at my house. Shockingly, Colden and Ander came out for this too, so pleasantly surprised at how many people turned out for Olivia's service and funeral, but it looked only people who knew me, and Olivia well showed up for the party, which was fine by me.

The music was on and kept semi-low, so I could still hear the baby monitor. Hopefully, Emma would sleep until about 7:30-8 ish, but we'd see.

"Great party, Hic," Sigvard said.

"Yeah, well…Wish it could be done due to happier terms," I stated.

"Come on, it's a celebration of life," Oivind patted me on the back.

"Cheer up a little," Davyn smiled.

"I'm sure she's happy where she is; with her family again and knowing she left Emma in your care," Jolgeir reminded.

"Hope so. Wonder what she'd say if she knew I adopted Emma before I saw her request to do it?" I laughed a little.

"She'd say the same thing we all already know, Hiccup," Vera held my hand. "That you're a good man," she added with a smile. I cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply.

"It was really sweet of you to bury the rings with her," Frieda said lightly.

"It felt right to do that. It's not like I'd ever use them again if I re-married, so it felt like the right thing to do to let her have them in death as the vows are meant to be, you know?" I shrugged a bit. Before the service, I'd asked to be alone with the casket, and I slipped the rings inside and set them on Olivia's left hand carefully. I told everyone the funeral workers did it, but I guess it felt better for me to be the one to do it. The vows were binding only until death do we part, and death has parted us despite the divorce happening two months ago.

I still loved her until the end, so it felt proper that I bury our love with her, if that made sense. I explained it to Vera; she understood. And anyone else who overheard the explanation for why I did it. Part of me would always love Olivia; she was my first love, and I wouldn't forget what we did have, even if it weren't meant to be. I felt better now that the funeral was over; I didn't have a desire to cry anymore, so maybe it was just in the moment? Or perhaps it was Vera's meaningful words that helped ease the pain. Maybe now I'd be able to move on fully? Who knew, but I know I felt better than I had before.

"How are you hanging in there, my boy?" Mari inquired softly, stroking the back of my auburn hair a bit.

"I'm hanging, Mom," I nodded. "It doesn't feel great, but…"

"I know, son. It won't feel great for a while, but you've got family and friends to help you on your bad days," Mari reminded.

"I know," I replied. "I won't forget,"

"Good boy," Mari kissed my cheek. "So…I know it might be the wrong time to ask, and you can say no…But can I get that song from Mothers Day before everything happened?" she wondered.

"Alright, you're gonna have to pick it again, though because I don't remember," I mentioned, handing her my phone to scroll through the songs. Moments later, Dagny, Valda, and Halvor rushed up to me.

"Unka Hiccup, can you put the TV on so we can watch Sofia the First: Forever Royal? Please?" Dagny asked.

"The final episode in the series?" I inquired. The kids nodded quickly. "Alright," I turned the music down and turned the TV on, switching it to the channel they wanted to watch. Of course, it was the middle of the movie, but no big deal.

" _They taught us to always be royal, but what do those words really mean? When you're a prince or a princess, when you're a king or a queen,"_ Dagny started singing.

" _We have to look out for our family, but our family is bigger than this,"_ Halvor continued with Dagny.

" _It includes everyone in the kingdom; every boy, girl, mister, and miss,"_ Valda joined in. I laughed a little. "Come on, big brother, sing it with us," Valda giggled.

I sighed. _"I have to take a stand. A stand for one and all. Even if I'm the one who takes the fall…"_ I sang next as the 3 kids smiled wide.

" _Being royal means being loyal to those who count on us. For the kingdom, I must fight. For a need, they place their trust. For one and all; I'm standing tall. For one! And all…"_ I sang with my niece and twin siblings. There was a pause in the music as the movie bit continued a little. _"Once you spoke of my destiny, of all that I'm truly meant to be. Now it's finally clear to me; the path that lies ahead of me…"_

" _As a prince and a future knight; I must go back and join the fight. Sir James is right; we all must go. To save Enchancia; tally-ho!"_ the 4 of us sang smiling. Mari was leaning against Henrik, smiling as everyone just listened. If nothing else; Hiccup was exceptional with children and a really good singer. _"We have to take a stand! A stand for one and all. Even if we're the ones who take the fall. Being royal means being loyal to those who count on us. For the kingdom, we must fight. For in us, they place their trust. For one and all, we're standing tall. For one and all, though we may fall. For one…For one…For one…And all…"_

"Awe, that was sweet," Signy and Brenna beamed. The movie continued until it was the young girl, Sofia, a princess and trapped alone with her enemy.

"Will you sing with us again, Hiccup?" Valda asked.

"Oh, alright," I sighed and gave in.

"We'll do Vor if you do Sofia?" Dagny giggled.

"Oh, sure…Give me the highest pitch voice to copy. Very well," I informed.

" _You've always had a friend or two; someone to lend a hand. When times are tough, you look to them; to get out of a jam. But now no matter where you turn; there's no one here but you. You're all alone; your greatest fear has finally come true…"_ Valda, Dagny, and Halvor started.

"This is gonna be good," a few people nodded.

" _Just because I'm by myself, does not mean I will fold. I don't need help to battle you; I just need to be bold,"_ I sang.

" _Spare me your heroic speech, we both know you are wrong,"_ the 3 kids continued.

" _I'm not afraid to stand alone,"_ I went next.

" _My dear; you won't be standing long! You're on your own; you've run away. You've met your match; this very day!"_ my niece and siblings sang.

" _I'm on my own, but won't give in; I'll get back up to fight again!"_ I informed, singing of course.

" _The good in you is fading fast, and when it's gone; you're mine at last!"_ the 3 of them grouped together.

" _But like the sun; I'll rise once more!"_ I voiced.

" _Until night falls and wins the war!"_ Dagny, Valda, and Halvor actually pushed me until I fell back on the couch; then they giggled a little. Sigvard reached out his hand and pulled me up as I saw him with Brynjar, Colden, Ander, and the rest of the Strike Unit, smiling and nodding that they had my back. Go figure, in the movie, Sofia was looking to the people who had helped her out.

" _There's a bond you'll never know, a power you can't feel. The love you gives comes back to you and makes you strong as steel. If I remember those I love and keep them close to heart; my love will shine from deep within and chase away the dark…"_ I sang now.

" _My darkness cannot be denied; your little light won't last. I'll show you where real power lies; one final wicked blast!"_ the 3 of them tried to tackle me again, but it didn't work because the guys prevented me from falling.

" _You tried your best to keep me down, but I'm still standing tall!"_ I grinned.

" _How can this be happening?"_ Valda, Halvor, and Dagny continued.

" _Because I stand for one and all! I'm on my own; I found a light to see me through the darkest nights!"_ I smiled.

" _You're just a girl; this cannot be!"_ they shouted.

" _I'm more than that, but you can't see. I may be small, and on my own, but I can feel how much I've grown. My will is strong, my heart is true; my love will be the end of you!"_ I finished as I grabbed all 3 kids in my arms and gently laid them on the couch, tickling their sides as the laughed out. I chuckled as I hugged them tightly.

 _Yeah…This is exactly what I needed to escape all the sadness; just family and friends._ I thought as I relaxed on the couch with Dagny and my twin brother and sister. Everyone else just smiled, happy to see the genuine smile return to Hiccup's face.


	49. Headway

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Headway

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 6/1/2018-4 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

It's been about two weeks since the service and funeral for Olivia Holgerson-Haddock; that is how Hiccup did her headstone as it represented her maiden and married names. Hiccup was settling in nicely with his daughter, Emma; he'd gotten the schedule down that he wanted. Starting at 5-5:30 am; Emma would receive her first bottle and get changed. The next would be between 8:30 or 9 am; where Hiccup would change Emma into her clothes for the day. Between 11:30 am and 12 pm was the lunch bottle, and Emma usually took all 4 ounces. Next was 2:30-3 pm; then 5:30-6 pm for dinner. Following this was 8:30-9 pm, and another around 12:30-1 am. Hiccup tried to push this last feeding as late as he could, and he'd throw a little infant cereal in with the formula because it would help Emma feel fuller and sleep through the night, or at least until 4:30 am when he could just hold her in his arms and use the pacifier until 5-5:30 am.

So far, his schedule seemed to be working, and Emma stuck to it almost entirely. Hiccup and Brynjar were supposed to take another recon mission during mid-may, but since everything happened with Olivia and Hiccup becoming a full-time single father to Emma; it had to get pushed back. Askel seemed to have no problem with it and granted Hiccup until June to settle with everything before having to go out once more. So, that was the case with today; Hiccup and Brynjar had to leave to do a recon of a few places they picked out to check over the course of 3 days. Hiccup did not want to be away from his daughter for long periods of time, so this was the easiest solution; Hiccup and Brynjar were only going twice a month for 3-5 days at a time. Henrik and Mari would be watching their granddaughter at Hiccup's house along with Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen.

Hiccup promised he'd be back for Britta's graduation, and Brynjar needed to be back for the end of the month for when Katja gave birth to Rowan. Britta's graduation was on Friday, June 15th, and Katja was due for Saturday, June 30th. Brynjar wanted to be home the week of the 25th in case it happened a little earlier than planned. Hiccup was okay with this as he also wanted to be back for the occasion since Katja was his best friend, and Rowan was going to be his godson.

"Please be careful, son," Mari instructed as Henrik was holding Emma while Hiccup said his goodbyes to everyone.

"I'll do my best, mom," Hiccup assured while hugging her tightly.

"Best of luck, bro," Britta, Hagen, Lilly, and Lukas said next.

"Thanks," Hiccup smiled as he hugged them individually. Katja was saying goodbye to Brynjar along with Viggo, Kelda, Brenden, and Dagny.

"Come back soon," Halvor, Stoick, and Valda informed next as Hiccup reached them.

"Call to check in," Gobber reminded. Hiccup said goodbye to the rest with handshakes or light hugs; then he came to Vera as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, burying her face in his chest. Hiccup returned the action and closed his eyes, sighing out contently.

"Hurry up and find this base so you can be home more…" Vera mumbled.

"We're doing our best, Milady," Hiccup stated as he lifted Vera's head up, cupping her cheeks and kissing her deeply. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Vera replied. Hiccup released her after another few kisses, and then Hiccup came to his daughter as Henrik handed Emma over to him. Hiccup held her close, nuzzling his nose to hers lightly.

"Daddy loves you so much, baby girl," Hiccup kissed her forehead.

"She'll be alright with us, Hiccup," Henrik informed softly.

"I-I know…" Hiccup nodded as he handed her to Mari, who was waiting to take Emma from him. "O-Okay. I-I fed her 3 ounces at 2:45…Sh-She should want to eat again at 5, maybe 5:30…I-I made sure you'll have plenty of diapers, wipes, and-,"

"And this is not my first rodeo with a newborn, son," Mari smiled at him. "Relax…We went over the schedule, and your father has it written down in the kitchen with all of her bottles and formula. Focus on your mission, and we'll take care of Emma for you. Alright? Don't be so worried; she's in good hands,"

"Don't give him a hard time, Mar…He's a new father; we worry a lot," Henrik reminded his wife.

"I know she'll be good; I just didn't think I'd become a dad while the threat of impending war with the Archipelago was bearing down on me, or rather, us," Hiccup admitted.

"You ready, Hiccup?" Brynjar asked while stepping closer. Hiccup nodded to him as he kissed Emma's forehead one more time before backing up and loading up on Toothless outside. Brynjar got on Snowstrike as both of them faced the group still inside the house. "We'll be back in 3-5 days," he reminded.

"Take care," Kelda waved while standing in between Viggo and Brendan as she held Dagny. Katja was beside Viggo, her hands on her belly, rubbing it a little.

"Be safe, boys," Viggo added.

"We will. We'll call when we land and make camp!" Hiccup replied. "Toothless, sky!"

"Snowstrike wings up!" Brynjar stated. Seconds later, the dragons raised their wings and were heading Northwest towards the Faroe Islands/Archipelago.

"And I guess that's it for a few hours," Katja mumbled. "What now?"

"We sit back and carry on our normal days until we hear from them," Brenden informed.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Tuesday, 6/5/2018-3:30 am]  
**_ _[Archipelago; Unnamed Island]_

"I think we've done all we can for this trip, Hiccup," Brynjar mentioned after checking another place that had nothing. The two of them mounted their dragons and got in the air, hovering above while crossing the island under them off the map. "We should set up camp, sleep for a bit and head for home," he added.

"Yeah…We're at a 5-day mark anyway," Hiccup agreed. "We're closest to Dragon Hunter Island from here," he said, checking the map.

"Well, let's head there and set down for a few hours; then we'll make the trip back to Denmark and arrive a little after midday," Brynjar offered. Hiccup nodded as they directed their dragons to Dragon Hunter Island. However, Hiccup spotted something in the water and got a little lower with his binoculars to check it out. "What's up?"

"There's a fleet of enemy ships down there; headed Southeast," Hiccup mentioned.

"We're supposed to be going to Dragon Hunter," Brynjar reminded.

"You go and set up; I'll check things out," Hiccup stated.

"We're supposed to stay together," Brynjar reminded.

"Bryn, I'll be alright for like 10 minutes. Go on," Hiccup informed.

"Alright, but check in on the radio," Brynjar ordered. Hiccup nodded as he turned and started following the ships as Brynjar continued towards Dragon Hunter.

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:30 am]  
**_ _[Archipelago; Dragon Hunter Island]_

Brynjar didn't like it one bit; Hiccup had been gone 6 hours when he said only 10 minutes to check things out. Brynjar got to meet Ryker and Hertha Grimborn and explained he was Viggo's son with Truda Holt. Also that Viggo had a daughter, Katja, who he had with Kelda Oliverson. And Brynjar thought it was worth mentioning that Katja has Dagny and another baby, Rowan, on the way. When asked about how Vera was doing, Brynjar informed that she was in love with Hiccup, and dating him as his girlfriend, that the two of them will have been together for two months come June 8th.

"Something wrong, Brynjar?" Hertha asked.

"Hiccup should be back by now," Brynjar stated.

"You said he was following a fleet of enemy ships?" Ryker inquired.

Brynjar nodded. "Yes, but it was only supposed to be a check, and I haven't heard from him on the radio since 5:30 am. I need to call Colden," Brynjar pulled his phone and dialed Colden.

 **. . .**

 _ **[10:35 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Colden was over with Askel as Hiccup and Brynjar were supposed to be returning, and they wanted to be there for the arrival and update. However, it was 10:30 am, and the boys were nowhere in sight.

"You're certain they said June 5th?" Askel inquired.

"Positive," Colden nodded. Then his cell phone rang as he checked it. "Ah, that's Brynjar now,"

"Speakerphone; I want to know what's going on," Askel demanded as the rest of the people over who wanted to welcome Hiccup and Brynjar home stayed quiet. Colden answered the call and tapped the button.

"Lieutenant Holt; we're all waiting for your arrival," Colden said firmly. "Where are you?"

" _We have a problem,"_ Brynjar said.

"Define, have you found something?" Askel jumped in now.

" _I don't know; I'm on Dragon Hunter Island. Haddock, on the other hand, has been gone since 0330 hours,"_ Brynjar informed.

"For what reason?" Colden asked quickly.

" _We were getting ready to call it over and return to Denmark when Hiccup spotted enemy ships moving Southeast from where we were, which at the time was a little after Caldera Cay. Hiccup said he was going to check it out and be back in 10 minutes…He never came back,"_ Brynjar explained.

"When is the last time you spoke with him?" Askel asked instantly and in a severe tone.

" _4 hours ago at 0530 our time, which is an hour behind you. Haddock checked in saying he found a targeted person of interest from a Special Ops mission. I asked where he was and he said he couldn't talk. The connection cut after that; I've tried the radio and cell phone multiple times. No answer,"_ Brynjar reported.

"You don't think he found _him_ , do you?" Colden inquired.

"It would be a breakthrough if he did, but this is still serious that there hasn't been a word from Haddock in 4 hours," Askel rubbed his chin.

"What is going on?" Stoick asked.

" _Hang on a sec,"_ Brynjar alerted. _"Haddock? Where the fuck are you?"_

"Is that Lieutenant Haddock?" Colden wondered.

" _It's been four goddamn hours! Do you have any idea how worried I've been? You said 10 minutes FOR A QUICK CHECK!"_ Brynjar yelled.

 _[Get off my ass, Holt,]_ came Hiccup's broken up voice through the radio that was with Brynjar but Colden and Askel could hear anyway. _[Return to Denmark,]_

" _We're supposed to go back tog-,"_ Brynjar started.

 _[Do as you're told and go back, Holt.]_ Hiccup stated.

" _I am one rank above you, Haddock; you don't give me orders,"_ Brynjar huffed.

"Enough, both of you," Askel remarked. "Find out where he is,"

" _Olsen want to know where you are, now,"_ Brynjar informed.

 _[Tell them level 10. Go back to Den-Shit!]_

" _Haddock, what's going on?!"_ Brynjar tried quickly. However, there was only static. _"Haddock?"_ Brynjar asked. Nothing. _"Hiccup?!"_ Brynjar sounded worried. _"He's not answering,"_

"Haddock said level 10, right?" Askel asked.

" _Yes, sir,"_ Brynjar replied.

"Return to Denmark, Lieutenant Holt," Askel ordered.

" _Sir?"_ Brynjar questioned slowly.

"I gave you a direct order, Lieutenant Holt. Return home, now," Askel demanded.

" _Yes, Major General Olsen,"_ Brynjar replied. _"I'll be back in 5-6 hours…"_ the call ended. Colden put the phone away.

"This wasn't part of the plan. Haddock isn't supposed to be running these alone," Colden reminded.

"If Haddock reported level 10 and stopped answering with no warning that means he's infiltrated a mass group of enemies and hiding out to gather information relevant to the main objective of this operation. And Haddock has permission to change plans if he has a solid lead and can't afford to lose the trail," Askel stated calmly.

"So we just let him be, with no way to get updates? What information could he possibly gather from his current position?" Ander inquired.

"I'm afraid your security clearance isn't high enough to know that, Sergeant Kongur," Askel sighed. "And Holt doesn't have the clearance or training to join Haddock,"

"You realize if he gets caught and captured; he could be seriously injured or killed!?" Ander growled.

"Lieutenant Haddock is an Elite Special Forces Soldier; he's trained to conduct raids, ambushes, do recon and patrol, avoid capture, resist enemy interrogation and exploitation, and escape captivity. You don't need to worry about him; he knows what he's doing," Askel informed.

"He still shouldn't be by himself…" Mari mumbled sadly.

"I agree, but if Hiccup has a lead on one of our people of interest location; it means he's not only about to find the base but the leader too. We can't pull him out right now; the next part of the operation was finding the target. I'll call HQ," Askel walked away. Nobody liked it, and they were worried, but if Askel had confidence in Hiccup's abilities; then all of them had to as well.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:15 pm]**_

There was a roar outside, followed by a thud and the door opening to reveal Brynjar. Strike Unit had come over, Colden and Askel never left. The rest never went either.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant Holt," Colden greeted.

"Why would you let him stay there by himself!" Brynjar glared at Askel.

"He will be fine, Lieutenant," Askel sighed.

"How do you figure!? This wasn't just a couple of enemy ships; there was at least 20! If he gets caught; he's dead! And if you had given me a second to talk, you'd also know he was hurt!" Brynjar growled.

"What do you mean hurt?" Colden asked instantly.

"We didn't find the central base, but we hit a few unnamed islands that had hunters and trappers on them…Hiccup and Toothless got caught in a net and landed badly; he was limping and holding his side. That was around 0300, so 0400 for you…He said might have cracked a rib or two, I suggested we set down for a few hours to sleep, and then he saw the ships…And went to investigate. I haven't heard from him since I left Dragon Hunter. By the way… Vera, Dad…Ryker and Hertha say hi and everything back home is going fine," Brynjar added.

"Why didn't you mention this?" Askel questioned.

"You didn't give me a chance to talk," Brynjar huffed. "Has anyone heard from him, by radio or phone?"

"No, nothing…And we try every 15 minutes," Ander mumbled. As if on the queue; Brynjar's radio began to static up as he quickly grabbed the device and turned it up.

 _[Night Fury to Snowstrike. This is Night Fury calling Snowstrike. Can you hear me? Do you copy? Over.]_ Hiccup's voice asked.

[Snowstrike to Night Fury. How copy? Over.] Brynjar replied.

 _[2 outta 5. Location update? Over.]_ Hiccup wondered.

[Home, Fury Base with CO's. Where is your location, Night Fury? Over.] Brynjar questioned quickly. No reply, only static. [Night Fury? Over.]

 _[For the love of…This is ridiculous! Hang on. I'll call you back. Over.]_ Hiccup groaned. Only the radio didn't shut off, and it sounded like a lot of gunfire in the background, people talking in another language. _[Son of a bitch! 15 against one is hardly fair! Alright, that's it! Time to even the playing field!]_ What came next sounded like the call of a Night Fury. _[Toothless, scatter and evade! Let's get-]_ the transmission cut out after a gunshot was fired.

[Night Fury?] No response, not even static. [Snowstrike to Night Fury, do you copy? Over.] Again, nothing.

Colden took the radio now. [Night Fury, this is Alpha CO. Do you copy? Over.] Still no answer. Colden looked at Askel now with worry. [Night Fury, this is Alpha CO. Respond, please? Over.]

"The sounded like a gunshot before it cut out…" Sigvard said with concern.

"What if he got shot?" Davyn frowned as Ander and the other member of Strike Unit did too.

"We will wait," Askel informed.

"He's not going to answer if he got killed, Major General!" Ander growled a bit.

"We do not make that call until there is proof, Sergeant Kongur," Askel reminded.

"There's not gonna be any proof if they throw his body overboard to the sharks!" Brynjar argued.

"Lieutenant Haddock knows what he's doing, and even if he was shot or killed…We don't make that call until there is proof. We don't even issue the MIA until a service member has been missing for 24 hours. And that status will not chance without evidence of death or capture. You know how the protocol works, gentlemen. We heard from him just now at 1620 hours. If we do not hear from or see him by tomorrow at the same time; he will be declared MIA," Askel said firmly.

"What's MIA?" Vera asked.

"Missing In Action," Brynjar sighed.

"What happens if he is captured or killed?" Stoick forced himself to asked.

"If he is confirmed captured by enemies; Hiccup becomes a Prisoner of War or POW. If Hiccup stays missing, he is MIA or Missing in Action until proof is provided that he is dead, at which time; he will be listed as Killed in Action or KIA," Jolgeir explained.

"The only other thing is KIA-BNF, which is Killed In Action, Body Not Found. This would mean that there is no way Hiccup could have survived whatever situation he was in, so he would be declared dead and no body to recover. The same could be said for POW's; captured and killed by enemies, body not found. It's all speculation without hard evidence. Of course, all these things change depending on the situation. Prisoners of War finds ways to escape or end up rescued. MIA people can return or be found. There was one man who went missing for like 45 years and found. We have no way of knowing until there's proof," Colden informed.

"If he is captured…You will send soldiers to recover him, won't you?" Alvin inquired.

"Yes, every effort is made to find missing and captured soldiers; then bring them home," Askel nodded. There was a collective sigh; they had no way of knowing anything. And the next 24 hours were going to be positively awful while waiting to see if Hiccup would either show up or make contact.

 **. . .**

 _ **[8:30 pm]**_

"We should get going…" Colden sighed. "If any of you hear from Hiccup; you contact the Major General or me immediately," he added.

"Yes, sir," Brynjar, Ander, and the Strike Unit males nodded firmly. Suddenly, there was a thud in the backyard as their eyes widened a little, everyone looking. The garage door opened as Hiccup, and Toothless stood there beside one another.

"HICCUP!" the group shouted.

"Lieutenant Haddock! You better have a good reason for-," Askel went to scold as Hiccup walked forward while Toothless greeted his mate affectionately. Hiccup was limping, and holding his left side, cringing with every step. Finally, he shoved a rolled up map into Askel's hands.

"No disrespect here, but shut it," Hiccup grumbled a little. "I have been up since 11:30 pm yesterday. I had to infiltrate several boats, hideout, gather information, fight, and evade capture by myself to get what I was after…And my damn good reason for everything you want to ask is on the map for you and HQ. I risked my ass to get the job done, so you're frigging welcome, sir," Askel stared at Hiccup, much like everyone else, with utter shock, worry, and surprise. "Now…If no one minds…I think I'm gonna pass out…" and with that; Hiccup's body went limp, he went unconscious and started to fall back.

"Hiccup!" everyone called with concern as Lightheart dashed in and Hiccup fell against her; she used her wing to made sure he didn't hit the ground. The Light Fury whined and crooned sadly for her mate's ride as Sigvard and Eirik quickly picked Hiccup up and moved him onto the couch. It was clear they wouldn't get any other information about things until Hiccup woke up tomorrow morning or so.

Askel unfolded the map, and his eyes widened as Colden moved over, and his eyes did the same. "I don't believe it…" Colden gasped.

"He did it…" Askel stared. "Hiccup found the base and our primary target,"

"Looks like Haddock made some serious headway in stopping this war before it begins…" Colden grinned. "Good fucking work, kid. Damn good job,"


	50. Prepare For The Worst

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Prepare For The Worst

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Wednesday, 6/6/2018-9 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Everyone left by 9 pm except for those who were living at Hiccup's house. The Andersons stayed as well to help with Emma since Hiccup was still passed out a few hours later after returning to his home. However, that was to be expected as Hiccup mentioned he was up from 11:30 pm Monday night, and he passed out at 7:45 pm on Tuesday night. That meant Hiccup was awake for 16 hours with no break, and he'd been hurt when he went to follow the ships, on top of getting more hurt to escape enemy forces when he got discovered. Askel informed that he would be back in the morning to check on Hiccup and see if he was awake. Thus far; it was 9 am, and Hiccup was not up yet. Brynjar, Katja, and Ander were over, but no one else as of yet.

"Nothing through the night?" Ander asked.

"Not at all, but his breathing seems even, so I think perhaps he was just exhausted," Mari informed while holding Emma in her arms.

"Likely," Brynjar nodded.

"I just want to know what he went through," Ander sighed a bit.

"You know that won't be allowed because of what level the mission was," Brynjar reminded. "Nobody is going to get to know except your brother, Askel, and HQ,"

"Still, they should have sent back up," Ander mumbled.

"It would have blown Haddock's cover and made things worse. Besides, nobody knew the location, and it would have taken 5-6 hours to get into the Archipelago anyway," Brynjar stated.

"How did the limping happen?" Henrik wondered.

"Running to get to our dragons to escape; I don't think its sprained or broken, probably tweaked," Brynjar informed.

Sounds plausible," Mari nodded. Hiccup began to stir a bit and slowly open his eyes.

"Hiccup?" Vera asked softly. Hiccup forced himself to sit up with a hand to his head and shake it a little before looking at his worried girlfriend's face.

"H-Hey, beautiful," Hiccup smiled. "I've missed you," Vera hugged him lightly and they shared a kiss.

"How do you feel, son?" Henrik inquired.

"Better now that I've had some sleep," Hiccup admitted. "Where's my little girl?" he spotted her in Mari's arms.

"Right here, don't worry," Mari said gently. "Why don't you go grab a shower and change, son?"

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," Hiccup nodded as he got up and hissed a little.

"Need help?" Ander wondered.

"No, I think I'm good," Hiccup balanced himself a bit; then went to his room. There was a knock on the door as Henrik answered it to find Colden and Askel there.

"Is he up?" Colden asked.

Henrik nodded. "Just a few minutes ago; he's showering now," Henrik allowed them inside.

"Ah, well; we can wait for him," Askel smiled. "How's he doing?"

"Seems alright," Brynjar stated. "We're waiting for him to see if the shower helps," As they couldn't do anything else; the small collection of people just sat around to pass the time until Hiccup returned to the living room.

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:35 am]**_

Hiccup probably took one of the longest showers he ever had in his life; nearly 30 minutes. Hiccup was using the hot water to ease away some of the soreness; then, of course, he washed his hair and body and ended up shaving while in there. After finishing. Hiccup cleaned up the rest of his shaving without a mirror job, dried off, put on deodorant, and exited the bathroom to get dressed. The clothing option was a pair of dark blue jeans, red t-shirt, and white socks with gray on the heel and toes. Hiccup left his bedroom to see that 2 others had arrived, Colden and Askel, but he sort of expected it.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Haddock," Askel greeted.

"Morning, Major General Olsen and Major Kongur," Hiccup replied. "And hi to everyone else too," he added while moving to the kitchen to start some coffee for himself, and munch on a granola bar from the cupboard.

"How are you feeling today?" Colden inquired.

"I mean; I'm alive, so I must be doing pretty good," Hiccup chuckled while grabbing his gray mug; then the sugar jar, the milk, and a spoon. "I'm just going to assume that you're here to check on me and find out what happened yesterday, right?" he asked while mixing everything together and leaning against the counter while taking a sip.

"You'd be correct," Askel nodded.

"There isn't much to tell you honestly," Hiccup confessed while relaxing. "Routine recon until I found the fleet of ships,"

"Well, that's what we want to know about, Lieutenant Haddock. You told Holt you'd be gone 10 minutes and you were gone for much longer," Askel reminded.

"I had a good lead, and I couldn't risk losing it. Seems my gut feeling paid off since I found two things you were after," Hiccup said casually. "I could tell you more, but you know…Civilians or soldiers with not high enough clearance are present, so that call is yours,"

"Just tell us; everyone knows you were doing a level 10 and what the objective was," Colden stated.

"Sure, right after breakfast, or while I'm cooking it," Hiccup set his mug down and broke out 2 semi-flat pans, a small pot. Following that, Hiccup got a plastic bowl, small whisk, tongs, and a spatula. Hiccup started cutting up 2 potatoes and seasoning them with salt, pepper, and a few other things before getting them into a pan that had some oil in it.

"Anytime, Lieutenant," Askel pushed.

"I followed the ships from 0330 to 0530 with cloud cover. When the ships stopped at one island; it was more of a pickup and drop off location. I started moving around and listening in; learned that the lead ship had the target on it and people kept saying returning to the base. Naturally; I figured not to lose the opportunity," Hiccup explained while laying 3 pieces of bacon down on the other small pan.

"So you decided to keep following?" Brynjar inquired. "Because you checked in with me at 0530…"

Hiccup nodded. "I couldn't risk losing the trail, or not being able to find out more, so I had Toothless fly cloud cover while I made my way from ship to ship until I reached the lead one," Hiccup cracked 2 eggs and mixed them with a bit of milk and seasonings in the bowl. After that, Hiccup poured the mixture into the pot; then stirring the potatoes and checking the bacon.

"How did you bounce between ships without getting caught?" Colden inquired now.

"By wearing one of their uniforms and staying undercover to listen in while making it seem I was just working," Hiccup grabbed another bowl and lined it with a paper towel before scooping the potatoes out and set them into the bowl to dry a bit. "I got to the lead ship after a couple of hours and did what I could to locate the target or find the base another way before arriving. However, the lead ship had enemy soldiers on it that wore different uniforms, so I had to hide out if different places to avoid being caught,"

"And this didn't last, did it?" Ander sighed.

"It worked until we docked and people were coming into the cargo hold where I was to start unloading things. It held for about 10 minutes; then I got found. I'll spare you the details of the fight, but I was severely outnumbered and found an opening to get away with Toothless. We stopped on the first island to get a small break; then returned here," Hiccup explained while flipping the bacon and stirring the eggs a bit before adding cheese and continuing to mix it in.

"You know that you left your radio on after saying you'd call back, right?" Brynjar stated. "We heard some of the things you said,"

"Yeah, sounded fun, didn't it?" Hiccup muttered sarcastically while pulling the bacon off to dry next. Hiccup scooped the eggs onto a plate before adding on the bacon and homefries. Hiccup set the dishes in the sink while grabbing a fork and napkin before sitting down on the couch with his food to eat.

"No, it sounded dangerous!" Mari scolded.

"Mom, don't start…It's my job…" Hiccup groaned.

"Nevermind!" Mari huffed as Henrik stopped her.

"Leave him be, Mar…There's nothing you can do to stop it or him," Henrik reminded.

"What island did you stop on?" Colden questioned.

"I was closest to Bog, so I stopped there. Bertha let me hang for half an hour; then I headed back this way," Hiccup informed. "Your mom says hi, Cami," he added.

"What time did you reach Bog-Burglar?" Brynjar asked.

"I don't know…Around 1600, Archipelago time," Hiccup shrugged.

"It took me about 6 hours to get from Dragon Hunter Island to here…How did it only take you 2 hours?" Brynjar wondered.

"You were coming from farther, and don't fly at the speed Toothless and I do," Hiccup said while taking a bite of his eggs.

"What do you mean?" Ander blinked.

"Toothless is the fastest dragon around; we fly a lot faster," Hiccup informed calmly while finishing a piece of bacon.

"How fast?" Askel inquired now.

"Do you want glide, cruise, normal fly, normal top, or divebomb speed?" Hiccup stared.

"Do you know all of them?" Vera wondered.

"Of course; I have to know my own dragon," Hiccup nodded. "Toothless's glide speed is about 70-90 mph. Cruise is 150-200. Normal is around 250. The normal top is exactly 437. Divebomb is 767," Hiccup stated.

"Wait…" Ander stopped him. "Isn't 767 miles per hour the speed of sound?"

"Yes," Hiccup replied, eating a few homefries.

"Dude! You can break the sound barrier?! And you didn't tell anyone?!" Brynjar scolded.

"I, uh…I don't ever really have to use that speed, so no. Toothless only reaches it when he pulls out of dive and flies straight forward…" Hiccup mentioned. "Also, the speed will begin to lessen the longer we stay level in one line. Toothless only maintains such a speed for 5-10 minutes after pulling out of the dive; it's an incredibly dangerous speed to stay in with me on his back. I've been blown off a few times, so we try to only do it over water, and Toothless catches me before we hit,"

"And the 437?" Colden arched a brow.

"That's normal top speed for us, and safe for me," Hiccup confirmed. "Normal planes fly at about 620 mph, Toothless and I hit 437, so we fly about 183 mph slower than your standard commercial airliner. With a good burst of speed, like using the divebomb as a starter from Bog; we were well out of the Archipelago by 1700 and used the last hour and a half to get here for 2030 hours at the speed of 437…" he finished his eggs afterward; then took a sip of his coffee.

"That's impressive, Lieutenant. I had no idea your dragon could fly that fast," Askel said, shocked.

"There's a reason he has the Alpha Mode, and it's because no dragon can hold a candle to his power," Hiccup chuckled while finishing up the rest of his food and drink.

"Can Lightheart hit those speeds?" Astrid asked.

"I assume so; she's a subspecies of Night Fury, so their abilities are pretty similar. Not sure if she has an Alpha Mode, but being Toothless's makes her a second in command anyway," Hiccup got up to set his dishes in the sink then move to his mother and take Emma. "There's my girl…" Hiccup rubbed his nose to hers; then kissed her cheek before sitting down to relax and hold her. "Is that the information you gentlemen needed? Am I allowed to relax now…?"

"Yes, you're good, Lieutenant Haddock. We'll contact you when the next phase starts. I expect it will be later this month, but you've earned a few weeks off for the mission, and extra you did to get us a location for both things we wanted," Askel stated.

"I'll see you later this month then. Safe drive back to base," Hiccup said. Askel and Colden left, Ander and Brynjar went shortly afterward that way Hiccup could have some time to relax; what he pulled off was big and would help a lot in the efforts to stop these new enemies before another war began. "Finally…" he sighed out with his daughter in his arms.

"You sure you're okay, son?" Henrik asked.

"Mmhm," Hiccup nodded. "Little sore, but I'll live,"

"Alright; we're gonna head home," Henrik kissed the top of his head.

"We'll get together this weekend, so I can see Brit, Lil, Lu, and Hagen and probably everyone else too," Hiccup smiled. Mari hugged Hiccup and kissed his cheek before she and Henrik left to get to their house. Vera sat beside Hiccup now, laying her head on his shoulder and smiling lightly.

"I'm glad you're back; I was worried," Vera informed.

"Sorry that I worried you, Milady," Hiccup turned his head and kissed her gently. "What have I missed these past few days?"

"Not much…My parents know I'm dating you," Vera giggled.

"How?" Hiccup asked.

"Brynjar met them when he was on Dragon Hunter; he explained who he was when Ryker said that Brynjar looked like a younger, shaved version of his little brother. So my parents know about Brynjar and Katja being Uncle Viggo's kids, and also that I'm dating you," Vera explained.

"Ah. Were they mad?" Hiccup wondered.

"Brynjar only said that they were fine with it as long as I was happy. And hope they can meet you one day," Vera stated.

"I'm sure I would have if not for the ships thing," Hiccup sighed.

"What's wrong?" Heather inquired.

"I just know this whole thing is gonna get a lot harder and dangerous based on what I saw," Hiccup closed his eyes.

"How so?" Thuggory questioned next.

"I can't reveal that to you," Hiccup said. "Sorry. Classified information to select parties,"

"We understand," Stoick cut anyone else from asking questions about it. "We're just glad you're back safely, Hiccup," he added.

"Thanks," Hiccup responded before looking back down to Emma in his arms. "So, babe…Feel like going on a date on Friday night?"

"Sure, I'd love to. What are we doing this time?" Vera inquired happily.

"What do you want to do?" Hiccup asked.

"Picnic in the park? Maybe a night flight, and movie here?" Vera suggested.

"I think we can handle that," Hiccup chuckled.

"Friday is the 8th, isn't it? Our 2 month anniversary of dating?" Vera questioned.

"That's right," Hiccup nodded. "And we're picking up dragons classifications after lunch. I believe we left off on…What, Tracker? I know we finished Boulder, Mystery, and Vera knows Stoker and Tidal…Yeah, I think we're starting Tracker," he tapped his chin.

"Yeah, Mystery finished while you and Brynjar were away," Astrid confirmed.

"Perfect, then we start on Tracker after lunch," Hiccup said.

"How long will that take us?" Snotlout stared curiously.

"There are only 7 dragons in it, so shouldn't take more than a week or 2," Hiccup informed as he closed his eyes again, relaxing.

"What are we doing after that?" Camicazi smiled.

"Probably Sharp Class," Hiccup mentioned. "And then I'll go over Stoker and Tidal with you before we get to Strike. There is an Unknown Class, but only because we either haven't found or don't know where to place them officially. So it's more like a theorized and temporary class,"

"What happens after we learn classifications?" Ruffnut wondered.

"Most people at the academy will move into bonding, training, and flying. And no…I don't know if you're getting that far. I may teach you a few techniques for training dragons in each class, but I'm reserved on allowing you to bond and fly still," Hiccup enlightened.

"You said you trusted us," Tuffnut reminded.

"And I do, but training dragon is the one thing I do best…And excuse me if I'm little scared on how things will go once you all leave back to the Archipelago and have to deal with the dragons raiding," Hiccup said.

"I thought you were looking for the source to stop it?" Viggo inquired.

"And we are, but who knows how long it will take to put a stop to the dragon war when we've got this other one breathing down our necks. One thing at a time…And these things take time. As you've noticed; you've been here since November 10th, it's now June 6th…In 4 days, you'll have been here for 7 months, that's over half a year…I bet it's the longest any of you have ever been away from home," Hiccup stated.

"Yes, indeed. Normally our boat travels are not longer than a few weeks," Alvin agreed. "So what type of changes have been happening on the islands?"

"The basics. We're building sturdier housing, setting up electricity, cell phone and internet towers seem to be operational since Brynjar was able to place a call to Olsen from Dragon Hunter Island, which is one of the farthest islands North in the Archipelago…" Hiccup explained.

"What of our shops and stuff?" Gobber wondered.

"All of that will be left alone; just slightly upgraded. I told you, everyone is basically the same with a modern flair to it," Hiccup sighed. "Everything is just going to be modernized, but still something you are familiar with; although, some of your laws might get changed. The queen does not agree with some of them," he added.

"Well, it's time for a change from how things were back then anyway," Soren stated, having no problem with things. "A lot of the laws could use some redoing,"

"I will have to agree with that," Brenna nodded.

"Same," Eret agreed.

"Mmhm," Dagur, Heather, Camicazi, Thuggory, and Signy sounded off on the idea.

"Sounds nice," Astrid said as Ruffnut, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, and Snotlout agreed. "So with the internet and phone thing…Will we be able to contact you from anywhere in the Archipelago?"

"Yes," Hiccup replied.

"And…How about transportation?" Vera wondered now.

"I believe they are incorporating better boats with motors; that should help get around better, and also…I believe there will be one or two seaplanes on every Viking inhabited island to get from Archipelago to Denmark or Greenland. I think you're getting a 14 and 18 passenger, not sure on piloting yet. You'll have cows, chickens, pigs, sheep, horses…All kinds of animals, foods, and what not. You'll get stuff to run large-scale stores like I've shown you here, and people delivering supplies, like how the traders do, but on a bigger level. Everything is still being worked out, but you guys are gonna be living about the same way we do," Hiccup enlightened gently.

"Will there be schooling?" Valda sat next to Hiccup now, and Halvor on the other side.

"Of course. You'll start when you're 6, and you'll learn all about math, science, history, reading, writing, languages like English and Danish…And you'll graduate when you turn 15 or 16. There will be daycare too, for younger kids so the parents can work and not have to worry. It'll be pretty awesome," Hiccup informed.

"Will you come to visit?" Halvor questioned now. Hiccup was silent for a few moments; then he gave in.

"Of course," Hiccup nodded. "I'll try to come as much as I can with Emma, but I…Still have a job to do here as part of the army,"

"We know!" the two young Haddock children leaned against him. The Vikings were a bit surprised; Hiccup had said back in November that once this was over, they'd never see him again. But now he was saying he'd visit as much as he could with Emma, and probably to see Valda, Halvor, and Vera only, but who cares? At least Hiccup was willing to come back for a bit. For Hiccup, though; his mind was on the things he learned aboard the ships; these enemies spoke fluent Norse and Danish; they worked with modern weapons and dragons. And perhaps the most concerning the situation that Hiccup had yet to reveal; he'd found the enemy base at the dragon's nest, and it was everything he'd feared the source of the raids being.

This would be one hell of a battle that might not be able to get stopped before it started. The Vikings wouldn't be able to handle the modernized weapons, and the Danish Military would have a tough time with the dragons. Hiccup knew there would be no stopping this, but he knew there would be preparations that needed to be made for the worse.


	51. Always A Good Time

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Always A Good Time

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 6/15/2018-5:00 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

Today would be eventful for sure. It's 5 am; I'm up with Emma to feed her, and then I had to get dressed and fly to the base for a meeting about my findings on the last mission. On top of that; Britta's graduation was at 4 pm, and that would likely last until 6 pm; then there was a graduation party for her at my house. At least with it being Summer now; it stayed lighter outside longer, and we'd get a few hours of daylight for the celebration outside in the backyard. I opened the pool and hot tub at the end of May right before the mission, so it was cleaned and ready for swimming. Everyone was coming over tonight, so I hoped this meeting wouldn't take hours to get through because I needed to come home and clean for the party. Right now, I'm sitting on the couch feeding Emma. After this, I would be going to shower and get ready to leave for 5:30 am since the meeting was at 6 am.

Emma was officially a month old now as of the 13th. I still couldn't believe I have a daughter from my ex-wife and my best friend's ex-boyfriend, but I'd never regret this choice; I loved Emma as if she were my biological child. And one day, I did hope to have a baby of my own, but there was time for that; I was only 22. I had to admit, despite the late nights and early mornings; I loved being a father. Katja was giving birth at the end of this month; she was 38 weeks exactly today. I couldn't wait to meet Rowan, my godson who Katja is naming after me. Well, Rowan's middle name will be Hiccup, but still; it was nice of Katja to name her son after me in some way. I yawned a little while looking down at Emma, seeing her suck away at her bottle; I smiled.

I heard sounds coming from the spare rooms, and knew the others must be waking up and will be coming out to the living room soon. As expected, 10 minutes later; the 20 Vikings began making their way out of their rooms and to where I was.

"Morning, son," Stoick greeted.

"Morning, dad," I replied.

"Hi, Hiccup," a few others said tiredly.

"Hey," I said. "How'd everyone sleep?" I asked.

"Good," was the standard reply. "How about you?"

"Decent," I shrugged before pulling the bottle from Emma's mouth to burp her. Once that was taken care of; I continued to feed her.

"So, what happens today; more dragon training?" Tuffnut inquired.

"No, today is gonna be busy for me," I informed. "I have a meeting at 6 am with military headquarters personnel; then back here to clean the house. Following that is Britta's graduation from school, and a graduation party being held here, which is why I have to clean,"

"Are you taking Emma with you to the meeting?" Alvin wondered.

"No. No civilians on the base, especially children," I shook my head.

"But…We got to go with you back in November for that ceremony thing," Astrid reminded.

"And for February drill," Camicazi interjected.

"That was different; you were still learning about how things work. This is war-related discussions," I stated. "My mother or father will be coming to take care of Emma, or at least I hope so because neither one of them is answering me," I sighed heavily.

"I can watch her for you, Hiccup," Vera offered.

"No, I can't ask you to do that, babe," I smiled a bit.

"You don't have to ask, Hiccup; I don't mind," Vera responded. "I watched Henrik and Mari do the bottles and diaper changes," she added. "Come on, you can't miss your meeting, and we're available to help,"

I thought about it for a moment; I really couldn't miss this meeting. I had valuable and crucial information about Drago Bludvist and his army of people and dragons. Moreover, I know the source of the dragon raids plaguing the Archipelago islands.

"Alright," I agreed. "I'll let you babysit…"

"We can all help with Emma," Brenna said. "I helped my mom with my little brother and sister when they were born,"

"And I've helped the healer on Berserker with many births and newborns," Heather stated gently.

"I live on an island full of women. Childcare is just one of many things we learn," Camicazi informed. "Emma will be fine with us women,"

"Hey, hey now…I helped take care of Hiccup when he was a baby," Gobber huffed. "It's not just women who can care for babies,"

"I've done none of this, so I'll sit back," Alvin said.

"Same," Viggo nodded. "Well, I helped a little with Vera, but never cared for her by myself as I was Chief and very busy,"

"The bottom line…Is that Emma will be okay with us while you're at your meeting, Hiccup," Vera kissed his cheek.

"Thanks…I appreciate it," I smiled, placing a soft kiss on Vera's lips. "In that case…As it's getting later, can you take over feeding her so I can shower and get dressed?"

"Sure," Vera sat down on the couch as I got up and passed Emma off to Vera carefully, and she took hold of the bottle; continuing to feed Emma. "Go on, she's alright," I nodded and entered my room.

 **. . .**

 _ **[5:40 am]**_

I came out while fixing my tie and then slipping on my hat. It looked like Vera was done feeding Emma, and just holding her now as my daughter was somewhat awake.

"Alright, I'm heading out for the meeting. Hopefully, it won't take super long…" I mumbled while leaning down to kiss my daughter's forehead, then I set a kiss on Vera's lips.

"Everything will be fine here, babe. Go on," Vera smiled.

"See ya later," I waved as I whistled for Toothless and jumped on his back. "Head for the base, pal," Toothless gave the nod as we opened the back door and flew out with Lightheart following this time. I really hoped I wouldn't be here past lunch because I had a lot of work to do at home.

 **. . .**

 _ **[5:58 am]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Kastellet Base]_

I made it with 2 minutes to spare and landed right outside the meeting location. I hurried in to find Askel, Colden, and 3 other officers.

"Impeccable timing, Lieutenant Haddock," stated the man on the left next to Askel and Colden.

"My apologies, sir," I replied respectfully.

"Lieutenant Haddock, this is General of the Army; Einar Bentsen. Beside him on the left is Admiral of the Navy, Vidar Isben. And beside him is Marshal of the Air Force, Sigmund Nielson. Of course, you know myself and Major Kongur," Askel introduced. "These are the leaders of military headquarters,"

"Yes, I'm aware. Thank you, Major General Olsen…Good morning, gentlemen. I am Second Lieutenant Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," I introduced with a salute. "And please excuse my middle name; it's a Viking thing…" I added softly.

"At ease," Einar commanded. I relaxed a little now, still standing before the table where they were seated. "Please, have a seat, Lieutenant?" I pulled out the chair near Colden and sat down; there were only about 8 chairs anyway, so I basically complete the circle.

"Now, you are not just an average soldier, are you?" asked Sigmund.

"You are Special Ops, aren't you?" Vidar questioned.

"I lead Dragonfire Team 1 as part of the Elite Special Forces. Normally, if not running those operatives; I'm the leader of Lightning Platoon in Alpha Company, led by Major Kongur. I also lead the Strike Unit of Dragon Squad," I informed firmly.

"Quite the track record of accomplishments and titles, and only 22 years of age; that is impressive, Lieutenant," Einar mentioned.

"Thank you, General Bentsen; I'm just doing my duty," I replied.

"And you do a mighty fine job, Lieutenant. Major General Olsen and Major Kongur have had nothing but positive things to say about your drive and work ethic in this military. We found ourselves inspired by what you said to them when requesting to take this operation," Einar stated.

"It was only the truth, sir," I remarked. "I'm prepared to defend my home with or without anyone's permission by any means necessary," I added.

"Well, you need not worry about protecting by yourself, Lieutenant; we're behind you 100%," Vidar said.

"I appreciate that," I nodded. "Now, while I enjoy the praise of a job well done…This meeting was set up with a purpose; I say we get to that,"

"As you wish, Lieutenant Haddock. It was to go over your findings on the last mission 2 weeks ago," Sigmund enlightened.

"I assumed. What is there to go over? I provided an exact location of the target, Drago Bludvist, and the central base of operations," I mentioned.

"We were hoping for a bit more on your findings while you were there before escaping. I understand you returned and explained the bare basics in mixed company," Einar motioned with his hand. I sighed a little and sat back.

"My findings are that this is going to be one hell of a battle that we might not be able to stop before it starts as it within itself is _mixed company_ ," I stared at them seriously now. "We're not just dealing with modern enemies wanting to attack the unmodernized Vikings; this guy has a dragon army too,"

"That could most definitely pose a problem," Sigmund frowned gravely.

"I also found the source of the dragon raids," I added now.

"How were you able to do such? We've tried countless times-," Vidar began.

"You can't expect to take armed ships full of humans into dragon territory and expect them not to attack intruders. I was riding my dragon; his scent masks mine to them, so they think nothing of attacking," I shrugged a little, remaining casual. "Let me break down this problem for you, and don't mind my tone; I'm just tired,"

"Carry on," Einar invited.

"Drago Bludvist is leading a human and dragon army to attack the Vikings as only a start; he plans to expand much farther in his hostile take over. The Vikings are an easy target with being so…What's the word? Underdeveloped," I informed. "The source of the raids is because of the queen dragon residing in the nest; a large Stoker Class dragon who has the main ability to emit a homing signal that controls the dragons to her will. This dragon is known as the Red Death from legend, and very rare,"

"What is known other than those facts about this dragon?" Askel wondered.

"Not much, but I caught enough of a glimpse to tell you here and now that she's massive and lives in the Carona of the volcano on this island, West of the Isle of Berk, which is where I am from," I stated firmly. "The rest of the problem is that Drago Bludvist seems to have trained this colossal queen to follow his orders, and using her to create his dragon army,"

"By means of making that dragon take control of the others to do as he wants," Colden enlightened.

"Correct," I nodded.

"And you mentioned that this target also has a human army?" Sigmund rubbed his chin.

"Yes, sir," I nodded again.

"Am I to assume that Drago is keeping this dragon in the same place as his base?" Vidar asked.

"Yes, sir," I replied firmly.

"This is a problem. And how much more do we know of Drago Bludvist's operation?" Askel inquired.

"I didn't have enough time to investigate further," I admitted. "I was discovered and needed to escape,"

"We'll need to do more recon on this Red Death and Drago. Is there anything else you can tell us, Lieutenant?" Einar questioned.

"It's unconfirmed, but I can confidently theorize that Drago is a former Viking. Most of the conversations I overheard were spoken in Norse and any notes or maps seen were written in runes," I reported.

"That is worth looking into," Sigmund stated.

"I agree; we will need more information on this target. I don't assume he stays in one place very long, so this could become an issue and take longer than necessary," Einar remarked.

"You needn't worry about finding Drago Bludvist. Toothless can find him by scent, and the first place to check will always be this base," I pointed to the island on the map.

"I would be wise to begin planning a counter-attack with the dragons," Vidar suggested.

"No," I replied sternly.

"It would be the best defense," Colden tried.

"It would be a bloodbath for dragons and humans, and we are trying to avoid an unnecessary fight," I reminded.

"You cannot make that call on how we choose to handle-," Einar began.

"I think you will find that while I cannot make the decision on how you choose to fight this battle; I do hold the final choice involving dragons, General Bentsen. As so appointed by the Queen of Denmark herself," I raised my eyes to meet his. "Also, I will not allow you to endanger my home. I cannot allow you to simply make a hasty decision that will otherwise turn the Archipelago into a war zone. And as a Viking myself; I can speak for all of them when I say we don't want another war. We already have one with the dragons, which can be stopped with the proper information. But we do not need another battle, and we don't want our home turned into a battlefield,"

"You are a soldier of this military, Lieutenant Had-," Sigmund started.

"I think you will find that doesn't matter to me when you're thinking to turn my home into a battlefield with dragons and humans," I crossed my arms over my chest. "Now, I'm not saying you can't decide how to handle this; I'm aware that it may happen anyway. All I'm asking is that you carefully consider all options and wait until you have more information before making a decision that could potentially lead to the loss of humans and dragons unnecessarily," I began firmly as all 5 of them stared at me.

"This is not another enemy with guns, grenades, and all the modernized weapons. This is not enemies like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan…This is one man commanding modern weapon-equipped enemies and a huge dragon that can control others dragons. The islands already suffer bad raids even with my top trainers on the island to assist. These raids contain15-50 dragons at a time, and the residents do not stand a chance if Drago attacks with every dragon in the nest. Also, it would be an awful idea to launch a counterstrike with the dragons because the Red Death will just take control of them and turn your attack back on you and much worse," I explained more.

"Once more as I've told Olsen and Kongur, no disrespect guys; this is not just _part of Denmark_ to me. The Archipelago is my home, and that enemy base sits West of my home island; Berk. I'm not just fighting to stop a war in the world…I'm trying to save my home, my people…As I said; I'm not just another soldier. I'm Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe of Berk. My father is the current Chief, but if something ever happens to my father before my little brother or sister are of age to take the throne; I'm the one who legally becomes the next Chief. Do not needlessly endanger my people," I informed. "Or any of the other island Tribes either,"

Einar stared a few moments, then sighed. "Lieutenant Haddock is right. We cannot launch any kind of attack without more information on our enemies. For now, we will make no moves. The safety of the residents comes first and foremost. Attacking with no knowledge will ensure an unnecessary battle we are no prepared to fight right now,"

"Thank you," I mentioned. "I'll take any recon or infiltration missions you assign me to complete to gather information. I feel it would be wise not to make any moves until we know the full extent of Drago's operation and everything he has to see it through,"

"Well, that can be the next order of business then," Vidar stated.

I hated that I had to keep saying it to everyone; that I didn't want another war starting. And if this was all done correctly; then we could avoid a battle beginning altogether. However, HQ making a hasty decision to attack with the dragons? No, I had to stop that at the risk of getting in trouble for being out of line. And attacking without having all the information? What kind of military did that; I understood the severity of the situation and that time was of the absolute essence here, but making a choice too fast was bad for everyone. No, HQ needed to sit back, calm down, and find out more before charging head first into things.

I'm glad I did come to this meeting, who knows what they would have done without me to remind them how serious this is and whose home is at stake; mine. I may not live in the Archipelago anymore, but that is still where I came from. And despite how things were in the past with everyone basically hating or ignoring me; I believe they've learned that they were wrong to do those things. I can see that the Vikings understood change was not always bad, and they've been more than accepting of everything since this situation occurred in November 2017. It's been 7 months, and they've come a long way. Not just the fact the 20 Vikings I have living with me learned everything, but that all of them on the islands are taking to the newness like a fish to water.

Everyone is learning how to live a new way, but never forgetting the old. Look at me? I came from the same place, and I still didn't stop using my Viking skills for some things that I do now in the modern lifestyle. And I'm super impressed that the Vikings haven't given me any trouble, except a few instances in the beginning. This was shaping up to not be such a bad thing after all. Hell, I was dead serious about going to visit when they go back. Come on, how can I not? I have a little brother and sister who look up to me. These people are Vikings, like me, even if we aren't all the same. And it seems like everyone understands that I might be different, but it's not a bad thing. I'm just my own kind of Viking like Vera told me. I honestly felt like I belonged among them for once, but I don't know if I'll go back full-time.

That was something I needed to think about very carefully. If I went back as part of the Hooligan Tribe; my father would surely step down as Chief since he's pushing 53 come September 16th, 2018. That's dad's birthday. I'm positive the only reason he hasn't stepped down yet is that I disappeared for 8 years and he thought I was dead, so he had no Heir to take over except for Snotlout, which as I can clearly see; didn't happen. Instead, my father had another child, two; Valda and Halvor. And the earliest they would be able to take over the tribe is 16 if something were to happen to my dad. Right now, my siblings are only 5, going on 6 is January 2019. That's 10 years, at the earliest acceptable time an Heir can take over in an emergency situation where the current Chief dies. Otherwise, an Heir doesn't typically take over until they are between 18 and 20, sometimes 21, at the latest.

I wasn't really paying much attention to the meeting anymore; my mind was on other things such as the predicament of where I'd be living. I could stay in Denmark, or return to the Archipelago. I wanted to stay with Vera, of course. I wasn't going to ask her to come live with me. I suppose I shouldn't worry about it right this moment; there were bigger matters at hand. But I did want this meeting over so I could go clean my house, enjoy my sister graduating school, then have the graduation celebration. A party at my house was always a good time, and that's what I think I needed right now; a good time away from all the seriousness.


	52. A Close Eye

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

A Close Eye

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 6/15/2018-1:00 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

The back door opened and revealed Hiccup standing there between Lightheart and Toothless.

"Welcome home, laddie," Gobber smiled broadly.

"Thanks," Hiccup said as his two dragons instantly went to their spot to lay down next to one another. Hiccup closed the garage door and walking in more; plopping on the couch with a heavy sigh.

"Rough meeting?" Thuggory asked.

"Unnecessarily long," Hiccup mumbled.

"Everything go well?" Viggo wondered.

"After some yelling, yes; everything is settled now and ready for the next phase," Hiccup sat up more now, seeing Emma happily feeding in Vera's arms. "How's she been?"

"Oh, absolutely perfect," Vera smiled as Hiccup got up to kiss his girlfriend, then his daughter's forehead. "I had her down back in her crib by 6:15 this morning. She slept until 8:30, was content with the binky until 8:45. I changed her diaper and got her into the clothes you picked out for her to wear today; then fed her. By 9:15 she was back to sleep in the crib after drinking 3 ounces. And…She's been fast asleep until about 5 minutes ago. I changed her diaper, and she just started the bottle," she informed thoroughly.

"You're the best," Hiccup said gently with a smile. "My parents ever stop over?"

"No," Tuffnut and Ruffnut said together.

"No big deal then. You want me to take Emma so you can get a break?" Hiccup inquired.

"No, she's fine, Hiccup. Why don't you go change out of your uniform and relax a little?" Vera chuckled a bit.

"Can't relax, so much to do before 4 pm…" Hiccup stated. "All the cleaning," he sighed.

"We took care of it for you," Dagur smiled.

Hiccup blinked now. "You…Cleaned the house for me?"

"Yeah. It was Stoick's idea; he figured since you were still gone at the meeting, we could help you out by cleaning things up," Astrid informed.

"We did the dishes, swept, mopped, vacuumed, dusted, wiped things down…" Heather stated.

"We did all the bathrooms and bedrooms too!" Signy giggled.

"Yours included. Vera did your room and bathroom," Brenna smiled wide.

"And we took care of things outside," Alvin added.

"I mowed the lawn," Viggo said.

"Alvin and I did weed-whacking," Stoick nodded.

"Snotlout and Thuggory weeded the garden," Soren enlightened. "Eret and I wiped down tables, counters, and chairs,"

"I watered the garden!" Tuffnut announced.

"We even did laundry," Vera interjected. "I did yours for you,"

"Seriously? You washed, dried, folded, and put away my clothes?" Hiccup asked, astounded that they did all this for him.

"Well, I didn't know what drawers they went in, but yes; I folded them along with Emma's. I did put hers away," Vera mentioned. Hiccup couldn't believe that they cleaned the entire house for him while he was away in the meeting. And outside too; they just saved him hours of extra work. "So go change and relax with us a bit; you deserve it,"

"Wow…Thanks, guys…Seriously; I mean that. You didn't have to, but thank you," Hiccup said genuinely happy and surprised at what they did.

"You're welcome," they replied together, smiling. Hiccup headed into his room to change out of the military uniform and into a pair of basketball shorts and a gray tank top. Finally, Hiccup sat back down on the couch and fully relaxed. Now, there was nothing to do but chill out until the graduation at 4 pm. Well, there was decorating for the party, but that could wait until 3 pm, so Hiccup wasn't worried until later.

 **. . .**

 _ **[7:10 pm]**_

"I'm proud of you, sis," Hiccup told Britta while they were getting into the house. The Vikings didn't get to go to the graduation, but it was only because of the invitation saying immediate family could attend. Just the Andersons, Hiccup, and Emma went. Everyone else arrived at Hiccup's place 15 minutes before him arriving with Henrik, Mari, Hagen, Lilly, Lukas, and Britta now.

"Thanks, Hiccup," Britta smiled.

"And with that…Happy graduation, sweetheart," Mari stated as Hiccup flipped on the lights to reveal the party for her.

"Congratulations, Britta!" the guests cheered.

"Awe! Thank you!" Britta giggled happily. "Now…PARTY ON!" she announced.

"Do it Toothless," Hiccup said as Toothless flipped the level that opened the roof up; then Lightheart used her claw to turn on the music. "Party on," he laughed a bit. Emma was fast asleep, so Hiccup put her to bed until her next feeding which would likely be at 8:30-9 pm. Also, Hiccup didn't relax much earlier before the graduation; he turned his art room into Emma's nursery. It wasn't entirely finished it, but the crib, changing table/dresser, and rocking chair was in there along with the diaper bag and clothes. And the best part; Hiccup's art room was soundproof, no sounds in or out. All Hiccup needed was the baby monitor to see and hear his daughter; it worked perfectly.

Upon the part beginning; everyone wanted to eat first. There was pizza, ribs, chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. This was on top of the snacky-like appetizers of cheese, soupy, crackers, chips, dip, fruits and vegetables. The dessert was going to be cake and some ice cream. It wasn't due to get dark until around 8:30-9 pm, so for now; everyone was outside with the music and hanging out. After everyone ate; some of the guys were grouping up to play basketball. So far; it looked like Colden, Henrik, Frode, Brynjar, Oivind, Jolgeir, Davyn, Sigvard, Eirik, and Ander.

"Hiccup. Round up your boys and play us," Colden chuckled.

"Um…You have my boys," Hiccup mentioned.

"You got enough to make it 8 against 8 over there," Davyn said.

"Come on, you got me on your team," Brynjar patted his shoulder.

"They don't know to play," Hiccup stated.

"Just tell us the object of the game, Hiccup; we can pick it up," Soren suggested.

"Get the ball in the other team's hoop," Brynjar informed. Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed as he gave them a quick explanation of how the game went.

"You think you got it?" Hiccup asked.

"Seems easy enough," Thuggory and Eret said.

"Until you start playing," Brynjar chuckled a little. "Just get Hiccup or me the ball; we'll take care of shooting baskets,"

"Got it," Fishlegs said.

"Game on," Ander smirked. For the next half an hour; the 16 males played basketball on the court in Hiccup's backyard. So far, Hiccup's team was losing, and there was only about a minute left before the game would be over and the others would win. All of them were panting, sweating, and grouped up in a circle during a timeout.

"Guess we're not that good at this," Tuffnut huffed.

"It's cool, neither am I…" Hiccup chuckled a bit. "I'm out of ideas," he shook his head.

"We only need 3 points to beat them, or at least 1 to tie," Brynjar informed. "What if we try the leg-up?"

"You know I can't lift you, Bryn…Didn't go so great last time," Hiccup sighed.

"So we'll switch it up; I'll lift you," Brynjar offered. Hiccup panted again but gave in.

"Got nothing to lose by trying," Hiccup nodded.

"Not sure what you're planning to do, but how can we help?" Eret asked.

"Get Hiccup the ball," Brynjar said.

"You got it," Snotlout nodded. The 8 of them broke their huddle and set themselves up in position.

"Ready to lose, Haddock?" Sigvard asked.

"Ain't over til the clock runs out," Dagur remarked. Everything started once more as the clock began to count down while everyone watched intently. Frode passed the ball to Jolgeir who went to take a shot; it missed as Thuggory grabbed the ball and passed it off Dagur, then to Tuffnut, who turned to avoid the ball getting taken by Eirik. Tuffnut threw it to Soren; it went to Snotlout.

"Yo, you ready?" Snotlout called to Brynjar.

"Now!" Brynjar yelled back as he crouched down with his hands linked together and the palms up. Snotlout passed the ball to Hiccup who moved down the court and stepped into Brynjar's hands as the man lifted Hiccup up fast; launching him into the air.

"No way!" Strike Unit and Frode gasped. Hiccup slammed the ball into the net on the last second as the timer went off. Hiccup smiled laughing as he hung off the metal rim while his team high-fived and hugged. The others were grumping and mumbling about how good the move had been.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted as Toothless came out and hovered under the hoop as Hiccup let go and landed on his back in a crouch before the Night Fury landed carefully and Hiccup got off. "Thanks, bud,"

"We did it!" Fishleg cheered, hugging Hiccup. The rest of the guys on his team lifted him up on their shoulders and continued to celebrate.

"Lucky shot," Davyn muttered.

"No luck, just skill," Brynjar laughed before they put Hiccup down and all grabbed a victory beer to enjoy.

"Nice game, boys," Henrik chuckled as Colden nodded in agreement.

"That was entertaining," Britta smiled.

"Indeed," Katja, Eira, and Frieda giggled.

"Oh, you only thought it was fun because almost all of them are shirtless!" Mari and Kelda sighed.

"So many muscles," Katja blushed looking at Ander.

"Is that what entertained you ladies about all this? Us being shirtless?" Brynjar arched a brow.

"I mean, come on…It's hot," Camicazi shrugged as Heather, Astrid, Ruffnut, Signy, and Brenna nodded.

"I suppose that depends on who you are looking at and saying is hot," Hiccup stated.

"I'm looking at you, babe," Vera blushed.

"I assumed as much," Hiccup put his hands on the arms of her chair and leaned in to kiss her deeply.

"So, since it keeps getting stopped by unforeseen circumstances…And it's my graduation party…Will you sing tonight, big brother?" Britta asked.

"Very well," Hiccup sighed as he handed his phone to Britta. While she was browsing songs; Hiccup looked at Ander who kept looking at Katja. "You know…Talking to someone you like usually helps in letting them know how you feel,"

"I doubt she likes me," Ander smiled.

"Dude, she's eyeing you up like a dragon to a bucket of fish…Just go tell her how you feel," Hiccup suggested. "You're looking at her the way I look at Vera," he added. "I had to take a chance and go for it to be this happy, so do you," he urged. "Go, Ander,"

Finally, Ander moved towards Katja nervously and sort of crouched in front of her as they began talking. Brynjar happened to look over to see Katja and Ander so close. "I guess what I'm saying is that I really like you, Katja…" Brynjar went to step in, but Hiccup elbowed him in the gut.

"Leave it be, Brynjar…" Hiccup stated.

"B-But…She's only-," Brynjar started.

"She's 22 years old, my friend. Ander and Katja like one another a lot; Dagny adores Ander about as much as she does you and me. And I think Kat could use some stability in hers and the kids' lives. Ander wouldn't hurt her; you know that." Hiccup reminded.

"I know, Hiccup, but after what happened with-…" Brynjar sighed.

"Ander is not Dane, Bryn; you saw how ticked off Ander got when he found out what happened to Katja. And Ander has only been supportive and as helpful as he can be since everything. Ander would never hurt Kat, Dagny, or Rowan. Let them be…Let your little sister be happy; she deserves to be after what happened with Dane," Hiccup informed softly. Brynjar looked back at Katja and Ander now; seeing his hand holding hers.

"I only want the chance to do what your idiot, I'll probably knock out if I ever see him face to face ex-boyfriend failed to do; make you happy and be here for you and your children. Will you…Be my girlfriend?" Ander asked.

"I will," Katja smiled before she and Ander shared a small kiss.

"Know that if you hurt her; you deal with me," Brenden scoffed.

"I as well," Viggo stood next to Kelly, arms crossed over his chest.

"And me," Brynjar added in. Now the three males looked at Hiccup, expecting him to include himself in the threat.

"Boys, enough," Kelda rolls her eyes.

"Hiccup, aren't going to warn him?" Brynjar inquired.

"What? I don't have to say anything; he knows," Hiccup huffed. "He's more afraid of me than you three put together,"

"How so?" Viggo blinked as Brynjar and Brenden were just as curious.

Hiccup chuckled a little as Ander gulped. "Because I know Hiccup is a member of the Elite Special Forces with an expert shooter level and ridiculously good sniper from very far away, which means he's more than capable of killing me with any kind of weapon and could absolutely get away with murder by making sure no one ever finds my body,"

"What body?" Ander whimpered a little, hiding behind Katja now. "Trust me…There wouldn't be a body to find," Hiccup grinned. "But we should have to worry about any of this, right, Ander? You won't hurt Kat, will you?"

"Sir, no sir," Ander said shakily.

"See now? It's all good," Hiccup shrugged.

"You just told us you'd kill him; we'd go after you first!" Colden remarked.

"If you can find me, you can capture me. Just remember that you couldn't even find me in a game of hide and seek. And that was before you trained me as special ops," Hiccup smirked. Colden had nothing to say.

"Shit, that's right. You'd never find him," Strike Unit chuckled.

Britta tapped Hiccup's shoulder and held the phone out to him with the song she wanted him to sing ready to play. "That's the one you want?" Britta nodded smiling. "Geeze…I don't even know if I can hit those notes anymore, Brit…" he rubbed the back of his head.

"Come on…Try it," Britta giggled.

"I don't know, Brit…This isn't exactly a party-related, and nobody is gonna know it," Hiccup stated.

"What song is this?" Sigvard inquired.

"Hiccup wrote it," Britta informed. "For soldiers who suffer PTSD,"

"You did?" the soldiers around the backyard blinked. Hiccup nodded a few times.

"Dude, let's hear it," Brynjar encouraged.

"I-I don't know; it's…Kind of depressing," Hiccup admitted.

"I'd like to hear it," Colden stepped up.

"Do I have to?" Hiccup mumbled.

"Would you like me to make it a direct order?" Colden wondered.

"I'm off the clock; you can't make me do anything, and Aksel would agree…" Hiccup muttered. "But fine…Since you're so curious…" he sighed pressing the button. "The shit I get dragged into…" the music started very softly on a guitar.

" _I've been home about six months now, and I still have my doubts. Well, I'm not sure how I got here, or how I'm gonna get out. My mama says I look the same as I did before I left, but if she could see inside of me; it would scare her to death,"_ Hiccup began as everyone located a seat to listen.

" _I can still taste the powder from the barrel of my gun. I can hear my Sergeant screaming; run, soldier run. I can feel the backpack on my shoulders; God, it weighed a ton. And I see death in every single thought…They taught me how to put that uniform on; I just can't get it off,"_ Hiccup continued while the everyone was trying their best to figure out just how close to home this song was from Hiccup's point of view.

" _Last Saturday they honored us in a small parade downtown. When they shot off those fireworks; I nearly hit the ground. And while people smiled and cheered for us; all I could do was stare, 'cause part of me is here at home, but part of me is back there,"_

" _I can still taste the powder from the barrel of my gun. I can hear my Sergeant screaming; run, soldier run. I can feel the backpack on my shoulders; God, it weighed a ton. And I see death in every single thought…They taught me how to put that uniform on; I just can't get it off!"_ Hiccup sang a little louder.

" _God, there's no end in sight. 'Cause even though I'm home now; I'm still fighting for my life…"_ Hiccup took a deep breath as Toothless came beside him, crooned sadly and rubbing his head under Hiccup's hand. _"I can still taste the powder from the barrel of my gun. I can hear my Sergeant screaming; run, soldier run. I can feel the backpack on my shoulders; God, it weighed a ton. And I see death in every single thought!"_ Hiccup threw his leg over Toothless's neck. _"They taught me how to put that uniform on; I just can't get it off,"_ Hiccup finished. **(Song was "A Soldier's Memoir-PTSD Song by Joe Bachman.)**

"Hiccup…" Henrik started. "How long ago did you write this?"

"September 2017, right after Roger died and I got sent home for 2-week leave," Hiccup admitted.

"I know you said this was for all soldiers who suffer PTSD, and for you to write something that deep; you'd have to experience these feelings as well," Brynjar informed.

"I never said I didn't experience it a time or two…I also never said I didn't suffer from PTSD," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup, I told you to talk to me about this," Henrik sighed. "You promised me you would come to talk to me if things started to bother you,"

"And you know you're required to report status changes to your physical, emotional, and mental health, Lieutenant," Colden reminded.

"If you'd like to go check my file, Major Kongur; I did report it. Just because I didn't report it to you doesn't mean I didn't do what I'm supposed to do. I was re-evaluated that day, and diagnosed with a minor case of PTSD; this happened…I don't know, a month ago maybe," Hiccup confessed. "Come on, Toothless; let's go for a fly before Em wakes up,"

"Hiccup, we need to talk about-," Colden began.

"We don't need to talk about anything, Major. I followed protocol, and I know how to deal with it, alright? And how I cope is by writing, singing, or drawing. I'm not drowning it in alcohol, and I'm not turning to drugs, so lay off. It's only a minor case, and quite standard for someone who has seen, heard, experienced the things I have. Now, enough already. Toothless, sky!"

The Night Fury gave a snort and launched into the air, Lightheart wasn't far behind. "I don't assume I need to tell you 7 to monitor this situation," Colden told Ander, Strike Unit, and Brynjar.

"No, brother; you don't. We've been watching him since returning from Afghanistan," Ander informed.

"Don't worry, Colden…We know Hiccup's had a hard time since we got back, but that could be due to everything and not just war-related things. There was the Viking situation, Olivia cheating. Those soldier dying…How can anyone get relaxed and feel normal after the war when the bad things don't seem to stop?" Brynjar mentioned.

"True," Colden nodded.

"Hiccup knows he can talk to any of us, even his father; it seems like he's got his PTSD under control, and if it's only a minor case then he knows how to deal with his attacks," Sigvard added.

"Just keep a close eye on him; that song made it seem like whatever he's dealing with is more than minor," Colden said.

"We've got all eyes on him," Ander affirmed. "Now, let's just get back to the party; you know Hiccup will be pissed if he's hounded when he gets back,"

"Good idea," Henrik nodded. From there; the graduation party continued while Hiccup was taking his flight with Toothless. Hopefully when Hiccup got back; everything will be as it was before the song. Nobody meant to upset Hiccup; Britta asked Hiccup to sing something he wrote. Subsequently, it seemed like a song that Hiccup never meant for anyone to hear or maybe he would have shown it later on. But doing it now obviously brings back bad memories. Vera only looked at the sky with concern for her boyfriend; she wanted to make sure he was okay. But the others were right; it was best to let things go for now and go back to having fun.


	53. A Perfect Way To End The Night

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

How To End A Perfect Night

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 6/15/2018-8:45 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

Above all else going on, Vera just wanted to make sure her boyfriend was alright. Whenever Hiccup had that _too calm_ demeanor and took off on Toothless; it meant he was upset and needed to clear his head before coming back. Otherwise, Hiccup would just get angrier and start yelling, which nobody wanted to be the case. The party was still in full swing, but Hiccup hadn't returned yet; he said he would before Emma woke up, though. The music was going, snacks and drinks were still out; everyone was having a good time talking among one another. Ander was sitting with Katja; the two of them were holding hands. Everyone else was scattered and making conversation or cracking jokes. Mari, being a worried mother of her eldest while knowing he was suffering minor PTSD was just sitting sadly beside her husband, and Vera wasn't far from them; Stoick and Gobber were concerned too because they knew from previous explanations what PTSD was, and what it could do if it got worse.

"Henrik, I'm worried; he's been gone almost an hour," Mari murmured.

"He's 22, Mari; Hiccup isn't going to want anyone chasing after him. As if we could while he's on Toothless," Henrik reminded, which only made Mari sigh.

"I-I'm sure he's okay, Mrs. Anderson," Vera tried now. "I think we can rest a bit easy knowing that he was forthcoming with things,"

"I suppose it does make me feel a bit better," Colden mumbled. "Most soldiers who suffer PTSD keep it to themselves," he added calmly while sitting across from Henrik.

"I shouldn't have made him sing it," Britta sighed. "I didn't even know what it was, but it drew me in and said it was by HHH-A," There was a roar from above as everyone seemed to look up and see Toothless and Lightheart coming in. Of course, Hiccup was on Toothless's back. The dragons landed as Hiccup dismounted from his Night Fury's back and walked forward with them into the house. And it had been perfect timing because no sooner than Hiccup stepped past the garage door opening; Emma began whimpering lightly, signaling she was beginning to wake up. Hiccup already started on the bottle as the crying increased.

Hiccup headed into Emma's room with the bottle, probably to change her first; then feed afterward. On the monitor; they could hear Hiccup talking to Emma lovingly while changing her diaper. Shortly following this; Hiccup emerged with Emma in his left arm and a bottle in her mouth while she fed. Hiccup sat down with a sigh of relaxation and his head back; his eyes were closed.

"Have a night flight?" Vera asked.

"Of course," Hiccup replied with a smile. "You'll understand when you start flying Moodscale freely,"

"How much longer until I can?" Vera wondered.

"I don't know; we just finished Tracker, and moving into Sharp Class," Hiccup reminded. "The final class is Strike, so maybe in a month or so?" he guessed.

"Really, are we that close?" Astrid asked.

"Just Vera because she's already done Stoker and Tidal classifications. Her next phase after Sharp and Strike are completed will be training her dragon, then learning to fly," Hiccup explained.

"What about the rest of us?" Dagur inquired.

"You still have Sharp, Strike, Stoker, and Tidal to do. After that, your next phase would be bonding if I decide to allow it," Hiccup stated. "I'm still deciding," he closed his eyes. It was a bit quiet now while Hiccup continued to feed Emma; the music was still going, and the guests were talking among each other once more. The music playing was very soft, like a piano.

"How come this one has no words?" Snotlout asked.

"It's another song I wrote," Hiccup informed. "I actually just finished it not too long ago, after Dagny told me how she was being treated at her old school. What you hear is just the music, but I'm the only one who knows the lyrics, which are about people being bullied, feeling invisible, etc. A lot of kids, all ages, deal with bullying; I did too back on Berk. I guess I want wanted to make something about overcoming it," he shrugged.

"Can we hear it?" Vera asked.

"Sure, as long as no one is going to instantly assume I'm overly depressed again," Hiccup muttered.

"Hey, we worry," Ander said.

"And that's totally fine, but don't do it all the time," Hiccup remarked. "Trust me, the day something happens when you need to worry about me; I'll let you know,"

"We believe you. Now…Song, please?" Katja smiled.

"Restart the music," Hiccup mentioned. Lilly went over and did it for him as the music started once more. "I titled this; _You're Not Invisible_ ," he told them while sitting back to relax and feed Emma.

" _Crowded hallways are the loneliest places; for outcasts and rebels or anyone who just dares to be different. And you've been searching for so long; to find out where your place is. But in their narrow minds; there's no room for anyone who dares to something different. Oh…But listen for a minute…"_ Hiccup began softly while everyone listened closely to the song Hiccup wrote for people who get bullied, including himself at one time.

" _Trust the one; whose been where you are. Wishing all it was; was sticks and stones. Yeah, the words cut deep, but they don't mean you're all alone and you're not invisible. Hear me out; there's so much more to this life than what you're feeling now. Someday you'll look back on all these days, and all of this pain is gonna be…Invisible,"_ Dagny got off Ander's lap and moved to sit next to Hiccup now. Halvor and Valda weren't far behind in doing the same thing as Hiccup sang through the chorus.

" _So your confidence is quiet; to them quiet looks like weakness. But you don't have to fight it, 'cause you're strong enough to win without a war. Every heart has a rhythm; let yours beat out so loudly, that everyone can hear it. Yeah, I promise you don't need to hide it anymore. Oh, and never be afraid of doing something different. Dare to be something more!"_ the Vikings could tell that this song was written on a personal level by Hiccup for himself and anyone else who suffered what he did. Vera knew all this as soon as Hiccup mentioned being different in the first verse.

" _Trust the one; whose been where you are. Wishing all it was; was sticks and stones. Yeah, the words cut deep, but they don't mean you're all alone and you're not invisible. Hear me out; there's so much more to this life than what you're feeling now. Someday you'll look back on all these days, and all of this pain is gonna be…Invisible,"_ Hiccup pulled the bottle from Emma's mouth, setting her on his shoulder to burp her while he continued singing.

" _These labels that they give you, just because they don't understand. If you look past this moment; you'll see you've got a friend, waving a flag for who you are and all you're gonna do. So here's to you, and here's to anyone who's ever felt invisible!"_ Hiccup held the note a few seconds as Emma burped twice; then Hiccup laid her back down in his arm to keep feeding her. _"Yeah! And you're not invisible!"_

" _Hear me out; there's so much more to life than what you're feeling now. Yeah, someday you'll look back on all these days, and all of this pain is gonna be…Invisible. It'll be invisible,"_ the tune finished as Hiccup smiled a little.

"I don't know why you never became a singer," Mari stated.

"Eh, not my thing," Hiccup informed. "I don't think I sing that good,"

"Says your opinion," Eira giggled.

"Ours matters," Vera leaned her head on his shoulder. "And you sing well, Hiccup," he leaned over and kissed her lightly.

"You write powerful music, big brother," Lukas said now.

"I write what I've been through; personal experiences and feelings," Hiccup mentioned. "But I don't do it very often,"

"Should join the Army band," Colden said.

"I think I do enough for the army; let's not add singing soldier to the list of things I am in the military," Hiccup chuckled.

"It was still a good song," Vera enlightened gently.

"Well, I'm glad you approve," Hiccup replied with a smile.

 **. . .**

 _ **[10:30 pm]**_

The party continued after Emma went back to sleep in her room around 9:20 pm. Everyone was smiling and having a good time; the people who were of age had a couple of drinks. However, it was getting later, and there was a curfew for kids under 18. Hagen, Dagny, Halvor, and Valda were fast asleep in the house on the couches. Katja was exhausted due to being so close to giving birth. Lilly and Lukas were beginning to get tired as well.

"Well, I think it's time we shut this down, son," Henrik stated. Hiccup stopped the music playing from his phone, and a good thing too because it was at 2% battery remaining. Hiccup slipped it into his pocket as he got up.

"What can we do to help?" Heather asked.

"Just start grabbing food and bringing it into the house," Hiccup informed. Everyone did as requested, and by 10:45 pm; everything was inside while people helped wrap things up, and put them away in Hiccup's fridge, or take it home as leftovers.

"Thank you for the graduation party, Hiccup!" Britta hugged him tightly after the others had.

"You're welcome," Hiccup returned the gesture; then the Andersons left Hiccup's house.

"We're heading out too," Brynjar said while carrying Dagny in his arms as Ander helped Katja up. Viggo hugged Kelda and kissed her cheek as Brenden glared and Kelda shot a glare right back telling him with her eyes to knock it off. Viggo and Ander helped the Oliversen's get outside and loaded up to leave. Ander returned with Viggo, then Colden and Ander said their goodbyes and left as well. Frode, Eira, Frieda, and Strike Unit were last to go leaving only the Vikings, Emma, Hiccup, and the two dragons in the home.

"That was a good time," Eret said.

"Usually is when everyone gets together," Hiccup said. Valda and Halvor were already in their rooms, fast asleep for the evening. Vera laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder as he leaned down and kissed her deeply. Not long after, Vera shifted, so she was sitting in Hiccup's lap, her front facing his. Hiccup's hands rested on Vera's hips as the kissing continued and slowly moved into a passionate makeout between them.

"Well, it's late!" Brenna announced quickly.

"We should, uh, get to bed," Signy added immediately after as some of the Vikings were wondering why they should leave the living room when they used to stay up until after Emma's final feeding of the night until the next morning at 4:30-5 am. Signy and Brenna tried to motion for them to get going while Hiccup and Vera were really getting into their makeout session.

The group didn't go to their rooms, but were standing farther away. "Why do we have to go to bed?" Astrid asked.

"So they can have a little privacy," Soren said, understanding.

"They are just making out," Ruffnut mentioned.

"It won't stay that way for long," Thuggory chuckled. Instantly, Hiccup's lips moved to Vera's neck, kissing along it and sucking lightly on the spot between her shoulder and neck.

"A-Ah…Hiccup…Mm!" Vera moaned, holding onto Hiccup's shoulders.

"Oh, my," a few of the girls blinked. Soon, Hiccup and Vera began making out once more, stopping after a minute and staring into each other's eyes.

"Your room?" Vera asked.

"Can't very well do it in yours," Hiccup reminded with a smile. The two started making out again as Hiccup stood up, holding Vera up as her legs wrapped around his waist. Hiccup walked to his bedroom; closing the door with his foot.

"And that's the last we'll see of them tonight," Snotlout snickered with Tuffnut.

"Nah. Hiccup will be back out around 12:30-1 am for Emma's feeding," Heather stated. Viggo mumbled something about his brother and sister-in-law killing him for allowing Vera to indulge in foreplay with her boyfriend of only 2 months.

"It'll be fine, Viggo. You can't stop them, and Vera is an adult. You have to remember things are done differently between couples. Besides, it's not totally different," Stoick shrugged.

"In Viking traditions; these two would be betrothed already and preparing for their wedding, which would involve sex anyway," Eret reminded.

"So, be thankful it hasn't gotten that far already," Gobber chuckled. "Come on, let's just get to bed early. Something tells me we're right back to dragon training with Sharp Class tomorrow morning,"

 **. . .**

 _ **[11:15 pm]  
**_ _[Hiccup's Bedroom]_

As soon as Hiccup had closed the door, and locked it; he laid Vera down on her back as they continued making out. Vera could feel Hiccup's erection against her womanhood even though their clothes were still on. The room was a bit warm, but it was Summer and about 77 degrees outside; the naturally made it hotter inside. Thankfully, Hiccup had his ceiling fan on, so there was a decent breeze circulating throughout the Hiccup's bedroom.

"Mm…Hiccup, I want you," Vera moaned softly. Hiccup stared down at her a moment; he didn't know if he was ready to make love to someone else just yet. Hiccup knew he was getting there, but not quite all the way yet. Vera sensed the hesitation and smiled gently. "You're not ready yet, are you?"

"I'm sorry, Vera…" Hiccup sighed.

"Don't apologize; I understand. We don't have to, but at least you know now that when you are ready; I am too," Vera cupped his cheeks with a smile. Hiccup swore that Vera was just too good to be true sometimes, but he knew she was.

"I love you," Hiccup whispered.

"I love you too," Vera replied. "You still wanna have a little fun, or just cuddle up for the night?"

"Honestly…I think I just wanna cuddle with you," Hiccup said.

"You, uh…Gonna be okay if you stay hard?" Vera wondered.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. If I ignore it; it'll go away," Hiccup nodded. Vera smiled as Hiccup went to use the bathroom, and change into something comfortable. Sure enough, upon returning 5 minutes later; Hiccup wasn't erect anymore. Vera had removed her bra, shoes, and socks; then the two of them cuddled up on the bed together, sharing a few kisses before Hiccup knocked out with ease. Vera giggled a little, letting Hiccup sleep. Around 12:45 pm; she took the feeding for Hiccup since it didn't seem like he was going to wake up to do it. After all that was taken care of with Emma being fed and change, she went right back to sleep in her crib. Vera returned to Hiccup's room by 1:15 am and fell asleep by 1:40 am as Hiccup was in her arms.

Despite the fact they were going to do foreplay; both Hiccup and Vera were content just falling asleep together. In their opinion; it was the perfect way to end the night.


	54. Matters Into My Hands

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Matters Into My Hands

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 7/8/2018-4 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

Today marks 3 months that I've been with Vera in a relationship, and I love it. Vera is understanding, kind, caring, helpful, and loving. I'm sure I could think of a bunch of other words too, but Vera is simply amazing, and I love her. Truly love her. I never felt this way for anyone, not even Olivia. Yes, I loved my ex-wife, and the 4 years we had together. But thanks to Henrik; I realized that that was just it. I only loved Olivia; I wasn't in love with her as I am with Vera. And Vera isn't just amazing to me; she's great with Emma too. I learned back on June 16th, Britta's graduation party; that Vera took care of Emma's 12:30-1 am feeding since I had knocked out and didn't hear when Emma woke up. And the fact that Vera had offered to babysit Emma when Henrik and Mari hadn't answered me the morning before the party, and I needed to go to the meeting; it's just unbelievable how wonderful Vera is as a girlfriend.

I felt like I couldn't lose Vera. To me; she's truly one of a kind, and I'll never find anyone like her anywhere in the world. Now, I know that if I were following Viking traditions; Vera and I would likely already be engaged and preparing for marriage. Honestly, I'm at a point where I don't care if that happens; I wouldn't even fight. Vera has entirely healed my heart from what Olivia did-God rest that woman's soul, and I feel ready to move forward completely with Vera into the future. No matter what that entails; having sex, marriage, another baby. I feel ready to do it all. I'm happy to take my time with it too, but I think tonight; I'm going to make love to Vera. I know she's ready and can feel that I am too.

Today; I'm throwing a big Summertime bash. I know Summer started in June, but things have been so crazy that I put the celebration off for a few extra weeks. The start of June is when I did that mission; then there was Britta's graduation and party. Oh, and Katja had her baby! Yes, little Rowan Hiccup Oliversen has been born. June 25th, 2018 at 10:35 pm; I babysat Dagny from the time Brynjar dropped her off and said Katja was on her way to the hospital because her water broke; that was around 3 in the afternoon. Brynjar also came to pick up Viggo so he could be part of things with Brenden, Kelda, and Katja. I did love Viggo had good relationships with Brynjar and Katja despite how the information was revealed, and Viggo missed so many years with both of them. Hell, I even think Kelda might give Viggo a second chance with her.

I'm on my way home now from drill; Askel let me leave early with Brynjar, Colden, Ander, Jolgeir, Eirik, Davyn, Oivind, and Sigvard that way I can get the bash ready. And the only hitch was that I had to invite Askel to the party since he's never been and heard it's a riot. Plus, Askel might be the Major General in the Army, but he's a good friend too. I've known Askel since I arrived in Denmark at 14 years old; he and Henrik were the first 2 people I really got to know and came to trust fully, they helped me out a lot. Emma was at home with Vera and the others; I could trust them to watch her.

"Hic, you want us to hang at the house and help you clean until 4 pm?" Sigvard asked. 4:30 pm is when I told everyone to come over.

"If you want to," I replied. I had the Kongur brothers, Brynjar, Strike Unit, and Askel following me from Kastellet Base. "It won't take me very long,"

"Alrighty," Oivind smiled. All my friends had dragons except Colden, Oivind, and Askel. Ander has a Titanwing Thunderdrum, male, and his name is Boomglider. Davyn has a male Monstrous Nightmare named Ashspark. Jolgeir and Sigvard have Gronckles. Sigvard's is called Stomper, and Jolgeir uses the name, Rocky. Eirik has Solarflare, a male Deadly Nadder. Oh, Katja, Kelda, and Brenden have dragons too. Katja has a female Razorwhip named Silverthorn. Kelda has a female Nightmare called Skyfire. And Brenden has a Titanwing Nightmare, who is Skyfire's mate, called Redblaze. Eira has a male Skrill, Stormbringer. Frode has a Female Snow Wraith, Whiteout. So right now, my friends who did have dragons were carrying those who didn't so we could get back faster.

Reaching home, Toothless dove down and landed in the backyard. The rest did the same as I got off my Night Fury and opened the garage door. Toothless hurried in to greet his mate as I got met by the others.

"Welcome home!" the 20 of them shouted. Thank the Gods that Emma's room is soundproof; I finally finished it. I moved all my art things into my bedroom and kept it much more organized.

"Hi everyone," I smiled. Instantly, I noticed that Emma was crying in her room; I could hear it from the baby monitor. I checked my watch now; it was only 4:05 pm. "Why is Em awake right now?"

"It's been on and off since 3 pm when Vera put her down at 2:45," Heather said.

"I've tried re-burping her, changing, rocking; she just won't stay asleep, babe," Vera frowned. "And I know you don't want us just holding her so she'll sleep," I dropped my bag from the weekend drill onto the floor before going into the nursery. I lifted Emma into my arms and laid her against my chest, bouncing her a little and patting her back.

"Ssh now…Daddy's here," I soothed. The crying began to lessen over a few minutes while I hummed a soft tune to her. When the crying ceased, and I saw Emma yawn; I got her pacifier back in place; then Emma began to slowly drift to sleep. By 4:15 pm; I laid her back down in her crib after kissing her forehead. I smiled. "Sweet dreams, my princess," I whispered and then slowly backed out of the room and closed the door. I waited another 10 minutes, and Emma remained fast asleep as I smiled.

"We did the same things…How come it worked for you?" Alvin asked.

"Sometimes kids just need their parents," I shrugged while moving into my bedroom to change out of my uniform; the returned wearing brown sweatpants, a red short-sleeve, and no socks. I instantly started grabbing things to clean with. I guess I didn't have time to do everything I had wanted, but I could do a decent amount. I took care of the kitchen and living room; then went outside to handle all that.

"You know, we could have helped," Askel said.

"My house; my job to clean, not guests," I stated while beginning to bring out appetizer snacks and unwrap them. By this point, others began to arrive. It was Katja, Brenden, Kelda, Dagny, and Rowan in Katja's arms first. Following them was Eira, Frode, and Frieda. Last to arrive were Henrik, Mari, Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen. "Well, let's get outside and enjoy the-," I stopped upon looking outside and seeing a flash of lightning; then a booming roll of thunder. "day…" I finished.

"Well, there goes that…" Vera frowned.

"It just means we party inside," Brynjar stated. "Well, if Hiccup still wants to?"

"I don't have a big house for nothing," I chuckle while setting the music to start playing. "I don't mind," I continued laying food out on the dining room table and upper counter space. "Kat, if you wanna put Rowan in the nursery, you can. It's soundproof," I stated. "Or the weight room; that's soundproof too,"

"Thanks, Hiccup," Katja smiled while heading for the weight room.

"I'll help you, Katja," Viggo offered, which only made Kelda smile broadly to see Viggo stepping up and acting like a father ever since the truth came out in December.

"Thanks, dad," Katja replied. Brynjar and Katja both seemed to accept Viggo as their father, and wanted him in their lives. I was glad Viggo was happy; it wasn't every day you learned you had 2 kids, missed over 20 years with both, and had to earn your right to be in their lives. Viggo loved being a grandfather to Rowan and Dagny too; Viggo did great with both of them, and on top of all that; he was getting closer to Kelda. I had no idea what would happen when the Vikings returned to the Archipelago, but I guess that wasn't my problem to worry about.

For me; I'd be visiting to see Vera, Halvor, Valda, and Gobber. I was still reserved about the others; part of me was saying that they were only acting so cool and accepting because they were literally on my time and turf. How was I to know that if I went back; things wouldn't be exactly as they were in which caused me to leave 8 years ago? I knew if I chose to return to the Archipelago; my father, Stoick, would try to push me to become Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. Valda and Haldor were only 5, going on 6 in January 2019; they weren't of age to take over yet, still 10 years off in fact. Not even, much farther away. The earliest an Heir could take over was 16 in the event of the current Chief passing.

For an Heir just stepping into the position; I believe they had to be 18. Most Heirs or Heiresses have to train for two years, but it could be one if they did really well. So by 19 or 20, an Heir would take over, sometimes 21. It really all depends on the Tribe; everyone is different. I wasn't sure what would happen if I returned to Berk; I'm certain Stoick would want me to become Chief as soon as possible. I wanted to be close to Vera since we're dating, but Gods, there was so much happening right now. If I returned to the Archipelago and accepted my birthright as the firstborn Heir; I would have to get married, and provide and Heir myself. And while all that didn't seem like the worst thing that could happen; there was the threat of an impending war looming. On top of that; I have a duty to Denmark being one of its soldiers.

There was a lot of thought that went into a decision like this, and I said I'd never return to the Archipelago. Obviously, that didn't last as all this happened back in November. At the same time; I never expected for any of the things that have taken place to occur. And I certainly never planned to fall in love with Vera.; I never thought I'd be divorced, and a single father to a child that isn't biologically mine, but is my now deceased ex-wife's and her imprisoned lover whom she cheated on me with. I never thought I'd end up in the Archipelago where I learned I had two half-siblings, Valda and Halvor. I never figured that everyone would miss me. When I left Berk 8 years ago; I said it would be forever, but it seems that destiny or fate has another plan. So despite the fact today is supposed to be happy and fun; I'm stuck with the weighing thought of actually considering to go back to the Archipelago.

I've tried to put it behind me, and not worry because once we handled this war thing; it would go back to how it was. The sad part is that I know it will never return to what it once was before November. Olivia was still cheating on me from May 2017 to November 2017 when I filed for divorce; the Vikings had nothing to do with that one. And fell in love with Vera, and bonded with my younger half-brother and sister. I never intended on it, but it happened. So what now? I'm left to actually consider going back. I'm a Viking; different than the rest, but I'm still a Viking. I tried to start a new life and leave my past behind me, but it caught up, and it's actively in my life again. No matter what I do from this point on; the Archipelago is part of who I am. My life will always be tied to it in one way or another. Vera is the one who made me see things clearly and understand all that.

I didn't know what to do, but I know that this is a big decision and I needed to think about everything carefully. Unfortunately, with everything going on right now; I didn't have time to just give much thought to the idea of staying in Denmark and visiting the islands…Or straight up moving back. This was honestly beginning to stress me out, and I was frustrated that deciding between two things was this difficult. And by far; this is one of the hardest choices I've ever had to make.

"You okay?" I heard a voice ask me; it pulled me from my thoughts as I found it the person beside me to be my girlfriend of 3 months.

"Yeah, I'm okay, babe," I replied.

"Seem kind of dazed for the last 10 or so minutes," Vera giggled a little.

"Been a long weekend with drill and stuff," I smiled.

"Well, maybe an early night for you then?" Vera suggested.

"Only if you join me," I chuckled. "It is our anniversary, Milady. I enjoy sleeping next to you,"

"Well, I think I can do that. You're comfortable to sleep on," Vera blushed some. "And I enjoy the quiet time we get," she added.

"As do I," I responded.

"Well, as long as you're okay; then so am I," Vera leaned up and kissed me softly; I returned it. "I'm gonna go socialize with everyone. Don't stay over here by yourself too long; people will start harassing you and asking if you're okay," she said afterward and headed with join the rest of the guests. I continued working on getting food out, then the drinks.

"Son, can we help at all?" Stoick wondered.

"You're doing all the work," Gobber added.

"I don't mind. Go enjoy the Summer celebration; I got it," I informed while getting a knife and the things I needed to start working on a side dish that didn't take long to make. I started cutting the foods up while glancing over to see everyone having a good time. My mind was still a million miles away while thinking about the choice I had to make when all this was over.

"Oh, Hiccup…I almost forgot to tell you," Askel stated.

"Hm?" I continued cutting the food.

"HQ made their decision on the next move," Askel stated. I didn't look up.

"I thought it was discussed at the last meeting to leave things alone until we collected more information," I reminded. "I stated a few times now that no further moves can be made against this threat until we have more data on the target, weapons, and location," I continued working on the prep for the side dish.

"Hiccup, listen for a second. I know what you said, and HQ agrees. But we still have to deploy troops into the Archipelago to fight this enemy," Colden interjected.

"Maybe you didn't hear me at the meeting," I glanced up now, glaring. "Allow me to reiterate; this is not just _part of Denmark_ to me. The Archipelago is my home; I'm not just fighting to stop a war in the world…I'm trying to save my home, my people," I stared coldly. I heard the Vikings gasp a little at what I said. "And I told you that jumping into this without knowing where you'll land is dangerous for the soldiers and the civilians involved as this is my home you're messing with. You will not endanger my Tribe or the other ones. Have I made myself clear, Major General?"

"Yes, Lieutenant; you have. But you have to know the risks that come with these types of situations…You're just one soldier, Hiccup…" Colden began.

"You can't save everyone in this war," Askel finished for Colden.

"Maybe I can't save everyone, but I can sure as hell try. And I can start by making sure you don't needlessly put the residents of the Archipelago in danger with your unrealistic, half-assed, lack of information plans," I scoffed.

"Lieutenant, you are out of line. You don't make the decisions on these-," Askel began.

"Do not forget that I'm not just a soldier of Denmark; I'm also a firstborn Viking Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe of Berk. But despite my birthright status to the one Tribe…I will fight with everything I have to protect all of them and defend my home," I reminded firmly. "Even if it has to be against all of you…" everyone gasped.

"Hiccup! You don't really mean that!" Ander said quickly.

"Sorry, Ander, but I meant every word. You brother, Askel, and HQ are coming up with dangerous ideas on how to defeat an enemy they know nothing about. And as I've said before; that's how innocent people get killed. I'm not going to stand here and support their plans when I know what the outcome will be. So if they won't stand beside me when I'm telling them they don't stand a chance; then they can fight against me," I remarked sternly. "But I'm not letting them carry out their operations while we're left in the dark and entirely unprepared for the outcome of a haphazard plan to attack first,"

There was silence. "The decision belongs to headquarters to make, Major General; I know I have no say in what the military decided to do involving war-related situations, and I know that a battle may be inevitable. If it becomes one; I will fight as I have in the other wars. However, I asked once, and I'll ask again; consider all options, and make sure you're fully aware of the target, location, and weaponry before you make a choice. But understand that if you jump in and try to risk my people needlessly…You will have to deal with me. And I don't mean that as in a; _pull me into your office to scold me_ type deal. You will have to fight and kill me to move forward in your plans."

In this, Toothless and Lightheart were on either side of me, growling lowly in warning. From outside; the other dragons who belonged to my friends could be seen through the windows, staring and growling as well.

"Silverthorn, stop it," Katja said to her Razorwhip.

"Rocky, enough," Jolgeir commanded his Gronckle.

"Skyfire. Redblaze, stand down," Brenden ordered his and his sister's Nightmares.

Eirik, Davyn, and Sigvard attempted to use hand signals, but their dragons, Solarflare, Ashspark, and Stomper wouldn't listen.

"Whiteout, down," Frode tried with his Snow Wraith.

"Firewing?" Henrik stared as his Nightmare.

"Boomglider, go lay down," Ander demanded to his Thunderdrum.

"Moodscale?" Vera asked in surprise seeing her Hobblegrunt.

The dragons weren't listening to orders from their trainers/riders as everyone stared at me now. I snapped my fingers as Toothless, and Lightheart stopped. I gave my hand outward motions as the other dragons backed off. "As you can see…Despite bonding and training; the dragons will listen to their Alpha. If Toothless tells them to do something; a human command means nothing. If I fight, Toothless and Lightheart will stand with me, and so will the dragons. Understand that is what you're up against if you needlessly endanger my home," I informed. "The dragons understand what it means to protect your home and family, why can't you do the same? This will be last time I say this to you…The next time this discussion comes up; I'm not saying anything, and I will act accordingly by taking matters into my own hands," I warned.


	55. I'm A Viking

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

I'm A Viking

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 7/8/2018-5 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

Nobody had anything to say, and this was not the first time Hiccup had spouted off about refusing to allow the Archipelago to turn into an active war zone. Hiccup had even begun to go as far as saying he was the Heir to the Hooligan Tribe, and he would stand against his fellow soldiers if it meant protecting his home. And Hiccup wasn't just talking about defending Berk; he meant all the islands in the Barbaric Archipelago. The Vikings were probably the ones who were most confused in all this because they thought Hiccup hated them, and enough to never return. Hiccup stated he was forced into the Archipelago, but no one made him go on the island to push back an enemy attack and dragon raid. Hiccup had said that was his decision to intervene and reveal himself to them.

However, Hiccup's words of refusing to return were said back in November 2017, now it was early July 2018; 7 months later and Hiccup was all about going back to keep them safe, even going as far as saying he wouldn't let the Danish Military, a group he was a soldier for, endanger his people. And now he was threatening to take matters into his own hands if he had to tell Askel one more time that he would defend his home from enemies and the Danish Military if he needed to. And Hiccup proved that he had the drive and strength needed for such a battle; all it took was Toothless and Lightheart standing beside him protectively for the other dragons to react and following Toothless's order.

After much silence, Askel sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I think everyone just needs to relax…"

"Lieutenant, settle down; we understand your stance on the situation, but you have to know that we only decide these things for the greater good of all. Sometimes the only way to win the battle is to fight the war," Colden informed.

"There is no greater good when you risk soldiers and civilians knowing you don't have enough information on your enemy to effectively even make half of a decent plan!" Hiccup growled almost.

"Alright…Easy," Sigvard told Hiccup, getting next to him now. "The Major General is right; everyone needs to step back and take a breather…"

"And on that note…Perhaps discussing operatives here is not the best idea," Brynjar added.

"I have to agree," Ander nodded. "This is supposed to be a Summer Celebration, not a work-related meeting,"

"There's no sense in everyone getting worked up when things haven't been finalized," Henrik reminded. "Askel…This is not the time and place,"

Askel sighed. "You're right. I apologize, Lieutenant Haddock," he bowed his head. Hiccup grabbed his knife and continued cutting food up.

"It's Hiccup off the clock," Hiccup retorted. "And keep the dragons out of your plans; I saw that look in your eyes when you saw how easily they will ignore their owner to listen to Toothless. I already told you and HQ once that it wouldn't work. That is all I have to say on this subject. It's a party," he clicked the volume button a few times as the music turned up while he got back to work on preparing his side dish.

 **. . .**

 _ **[5:45 pm]**_

Everyone was back to talking, snacking, and having a drink. Of course, not all the drinks were alcoholic, and small amounts if they were. For Hiccup, though it appeared he was having a great time with friends and family; his mind weighed heavily with the thought of what to do about the current predicament. Stay in Denmark or return to the Archipelago. After everything he said almost an hour ago; he certainly sounded like his place in the world was made clear. However, Hiccup was still conflicted about things.

Hiccup felt like no one could help him with this decision; it was solely his to make, and anyone would tell him that he needed to follow his heart and do what he felt was right. Hiccup knew he needed to just grab Toothless and go flying to have time alone to choose his answer. So much happened when he was at home; he had Emma, the Vikings…Honestly; it was like Hiccup never stopped doing things until he got to sleep at night. On the bright side of things; Hiccup finished Sharp and Stoker Class with the Vikings. Next was Tidal, and then Hiccup would finish things with Strike.

Hopefully, it wouldn't take too much longer. Hiccup was hoping to be done with classifications by the end of July or early August at best. After that, Hiccup would work with Vera on training and flying Moodscale while he also decided if he would let the rest of the Vikings partake in bonding, training, and flying; he still wasn't entirely sold on the idea, but considering it while finishing off classifications.

Hiccup was sitting in his chair, the baby monitor on his chair-side table and turned up. At first, Hiccup heard whimpers, then it stopped. However, 5 minutes later; it became light crying. Hiccup turned the music down and listened as the crying became harder.

"Sounds like Emma is awake," Lilly smiled. Hiccup pushed himself out of his chair and went to the nursery. Hiccup changed Emma's diapers, then went into the kitchen to make the bottle. Hiccup returned to his seat while shaking the bottle, testing it on his wrist, then sitting back to feed his daughter while rocking the chair back and forth. Hiccup did turn the music back up a little.

After 20 or so minutes; Emma was finished with the second half of her bottle and burped again. Hiccup smiled as he nuzzled his nose to hers. Stoick was close to Hiccup, just sitting there and watching him interact with Emma; it made Stoick hate himself for never giving Hiccup the same love and attention as a child. Stoick couldn't get over how much of a good father Hiccup was, and to a child that wasn't even biologically his. Emma was the child of Olivia, Hiccup's ex-wife, and Dane, Hiccup's best friend's ex-boyfriend who was in prison for various crimes. However, Hiccup took on the responsibility to raise Emma despite everything, just to give Emma a good life.

What bothered Stoick the most was that Hiccup became this man that he is today on his own with no help from him. Maybe from Henrik, and a few other male figures, but not from his own father. However, Stoick could not deny how proud of Hiccup he was. Hiccup noticed Stoick looking at him and Emma, and turned to look at Stoick now.

"Do you want to hold her?" Hiccup asked. The question took Stoick by surprise, and anyone else who happened to overhear, which was kind of everyone in attendance. All the guests and even Stoick knew that Hiccup disliked Stoick more than anyone else for Hiccup's upbringing until he was 14 and Hiccup left the Archipelago.

"What?" Stoick responded quickly.

"I said; do you want to hold her?" Hiccup inquired again.

"I-I…That's up to you, Hiccup; she's…Your daughter…" Stoick mentioned.

Hiccup rolled his eyes as he got up and stood before Stoick. "If I wasn't okay with it; I wouldn't have asked. She's my daughter, but I'm your son…That makes her your granddaughter, adopted, but still part of the family as I am," Hiccup set Emma into Stoick's arms gently. Of course, the Berk Chief was never one to show much emotion. However, holding Emma; the slow-forming smile was unmistakable on the Berk Chief's lips. Hiccup sat on the edge of the couch, watching Stoick get all happy and affectionate with his granddaughter; it made Hiccup smile some.

"She's beautiful, son," Stoick complimented looking up at Hiccup now.

"I…Wish I could take credit for how she came out," Hiccup said softly. It wasn't untrue; he had no part in the making of Emma, but Hiccup could see that Emma definitely had a lot of Olivia's features.

"Ah well; you ended up with features from your mother and I," Stoick chuckled a little. "My eyes, your mother's almost everything else, even the lean-figure,"

"I-I…Wouldn't know. I was too young to remember my mother before she was taken," Hiccup replied gently. "Mom was skinny like me?"

"Your mother was born early too, son; I think it was 5 weeks before the due date. Yer mom was always small-figured, but she had autumn-brown hair, blue-green eyes. And she was different, like you," Stoick informed looking back at Emma. Everyone was kind of listening in; this was the most Hiccup and Stoick had talked in the last 7 months, and the two weren't arguing like back on Berk.

"S-She was?" Hiccup asked.

"I never told you about this?" Stoick inquired.

"Well…We didn't exactly have the greatest father/son relationship, Dad…So, no…" Hiccup mumbled a bit.

Stoick laughed a bit. "Your mother was never like the rest of us Vikings; she didn't like to fight, and pleaded so many times to stop the fighting with the dragons. We never listened to her…" Stoick looked down a bit.

"Guess I see how we're alike," Hiccup sighed.

"There's a reason I refused to hear it, Hiccup…" Stoick closed his eyes. "The night your mother was taken was one of the hardest things I've ever had to endure. Moments before the dragon broke into the house; your mother stopped someone from killing a dragon saying that it would only make things worse. Your mother rushed to protect you after the dragon got in; I believe you it was a Stormcutter species if I recall what you explained they looked like…But your mother wouldn't kill or attack the dragon that was by your cradle. I did…And the dragon got mad; I grabbed you, but by the time I turned around; your mother was being carried off,"

Hiccup looked at his father now, surprised to have heard the story from that night; he knew his father didn't like to talk about it. "You mother believed wholeheartedly that we didn't need to fight the dragons; that there could be peace…Hiccup, you are just like your mother; trying to believe the best in every situation. And I confess that I was afraid you'd meet the same fate she did," Hiccup's eyes widened a little. "It was never that I didn't love or want you around, son…I was scared that you too would be taken from me. I…Thought if I either kept my distance or pushed you hard enough to be like me…It would save you,"

"Save me?" Hiccup questioned.

"Hiccup; you remember that I always told you that you were many things, but a dragon killer was not one of them?" Hiccup nodded. "Just like your mother. Different like her; I knew you couldn't fight or kill dragons. I knew if faced with having to; you wouldn't like your mom couldn't. And I was right…You couldn't and wouldn't kill Toothless. You befriended him and now look at the two of you. But back then, son…I was so afraid of you encountering a dragon and hesitating; then it would carry you off. I never wanted to feel the pain I felt when Valka was taken again. I didn't want to lose you, Hiccup. But I did anyway because my neglect made you want to leave with a dragon,"

"The thing is Dad…I did always need you. I just needed you to be my father, not my Chief…I needed you to be someone I could go to, to help me and guide me, give me advice…All I ever wanted was to be like you," Hiccup confessed as Hiccup looked at him quickly. "I wanted to be big and strong…I wanted to lead the Tribe as you did. I wanted you to have me by your side, and be proud to call me your son in front of other Chieftains and Heirs. More than that…All I ever wanted was…"

"For me to accept you as you were and love you no matter what," Stoick finished. "Aw, son…We both know that I could never have taught you to be like me,"

"Yeah, guess that never happened…Sorry, that I let you down…Again," Hiccup closed his eyes. Stoick put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder, smiling a bit.

"Never apologize for being you, Hiccup. It might be years late, but I do accept you. And I'm ashamed that it took you running for me to see that you were always going to be just fine and that I was wrong. Hiccup, I never meant to make you feel like you weren't worth something because the truth is; you mean the world to me, and I love you just the way you are. Difference and all. I'm the one who is sorry for trying to make you be something you weren't. But…I never needed to make or teach you to be like me, Hiccup," Hiccup stared at him with a little shock now. "You became the man I always hoped you would be without my help," Hiccup's eyes widened again. "And I'm very proud of everything you have become, have done and will continue to do. And one more thing…I'm proud to call you my son,"

"D-Dad…" Hiccup whispered, entirely shocked by the words he'd longed to hear come out of his father's mouth.

"I know I can't take back everything I did and said Hiccup…And no amount of apologies will ever be enough. But I'm prepared to spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you and be the father you always wanted and needed me to be," Stoick vowed. Hiccup got off the couch, staring at Stoick for a moment.

Hiccup did something nobody expected; he took Emma from Stoick and handed her off to Britta. Stoick got up quickly and was about to ask Hiccup what was wrong because it looked like he was going to cry, but Hiccup just hugged Stoick tightly. Well, as much as he was able to. Stoick was a large Viking who stood at 7 feet fall, and Hiccup was only at 6 feet and 2 inches. Stoick was entirely surprised by the action, and he froze a moment.

"I forgive you for everything…" Hiccup said. Stoick was so relieved to hear those 5 words. "I love you, Dad" and those 4 words made it even better.

"I love you too, son," Stoick wrapped his arms around Hiccup and embraced him tightly. Everyone just smiled because they knew how things between Hiccup and Stoick had always been, so this was a huge turning point for them, and it looked like all had been forgiven as the two were going to have a much better father/son relationship now. After a few moments; the two separated. Stoick kissed Hiccup's forehead as the two were smiling. Seconds later, Valda and Halvor rushed up to join in and then Hiccup took Emma back. To everyone looking; it seemed the Haddock family was back together and stronger than ever.

"Well, I'm totally now crying after that…" Signy said all choked up in agreement with a bunch of the other females.

"Lieutenant Haddock," Askel interrupted as Hiccup looked at him. "I know we agreed to no work, but I have your orders," he added before Hiccup handed Emma back to Stoick. "HQ has decided the next course of action,"

"If it's anything other than gather information; you can kindly tell them to fuck off," Hiccup muttered.

"I heard that!" Colden growled.

"You were supposed to," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I told you; I'm not agreeing to anything that endangers my people," he remarked.

"You're going back into the Archipelago to capture the target. You have no choice, Lieutenant," Askel said.

"There is always a choice," Hiccup informed.

"Headquarters is ordering this, Haddock," Colden reminded.

"I recognize it's an order, but given it's a stupid ass plan; I've elected to ignore it," Hiccup scoffed. Everyone gasped. Hiccup was refusing an order?

"You face disciplinary action if you don't," Askel said.

"Then so be it, but I'm not going in there to risk my ass and capture the target without a few more recons on the operation. I already explained why this is not your standard war-like situation," Hiccup said. "You do it my way…" he sighed heavily. "Or I walk away," eyes widened.

"Hiccup…You don't mean-," Oivind started.

"That you'll quit the army," Ander asked.

"Will you?" Eirik frowned.

"If I must. I'm not going out on a level 12 without more information; it's suicide…And I'm not going out that way," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest. "Also, in case you didn't consider it; if I fail…You know they'll attack the Archipelago with everything they have. And last I saw; they have more than enough to destroy it beyond the point of fighting back and saving. Sorry, but I can't allow that to happen. And if you send someone else, and set in motion the war that I'm trying to prevent…You will become an enemy to me, and I'll take down anyone who threatens my home,"

Everyone held their breaths, looking to Askel and Colden, who were shocked at what Hiccup said.

"You realize I can have you arrested for turning on your fellow soldiers," Askel warned. Toothless stepped in to cut Askel off, growling.

"I dare you to-," Stoick handed Emma to Vera and stepped in front of Toothless and Askel now.

"Stop," Stoick ordered. "First off, keep your hands off my boy. Secondly, let's not get carried away here. Now, Hiccup, I know you want to do what's right for the Tribes…But you do have a duty to Denmark, and you have to do what they say. I believe that you can complete the task," Stoick informed.

"I have a duty to protect my home, yes, dad. And while I'm a soldier for the Danish Army; it covers the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands, which to you is the Barbaric Archipelago. I understand defending my country, but when a threat rises to what would be my hometown, or in this case, Berk; that comes before anything else." Hiccup reminded.

"Son, if it's anyone's job to protect the Hooligan Tribe; it's mine. I'm the Chief. A Chief leads and listens to others, even if he doesn't agree," Stoick said calmly. "Lead by example and listen to your commanding officers,"

"And you've always said that a Chief protects his own no matter what, Father," Hiccup looked at Stoick now, surprising him with the words. "We're all Vikings, aren't we? Everyone in Denmark or Greenland is likely, in some form or another, a descendant of our ancestors. Come on; Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the First lived 1,000 years before I did and if I'm not wrong…He was King of the Archipelago. Another runt like me stopped the first Dragon War and kept everyone safe. All that aside, we all came from the same place; it doesn't matter how many years are in between. We're all Vikings, Dad," Hiccup continued.

Stoick didn't say anything, nobody did. Hiccup wasn't talking like a soldier anymore; this was him acting like a leader of his people. "This isn't just another place; it's home," he paused as the Vikings' eyes widened. "I have to do right by said home, and keep the Tribe safe. The only difference is that I'm willing to protect all the Tribes just like my ancestor did; it's part of our bloodline and family history, Dad. And you know what…I'm done pretending to be something I'm not,"

"Wh-What are you saying, Hiccup?" Vera asked cautiously.

"I love the job I have, the friends and family I've made. I love my life here…But I am the firstborn and only son to Stoick the Vast and Valka Haddock. I'm the Heir to the throne of Berk and Hairy Hooligan Tribe residing there. I'm a Viking," Hiccup said. "And it's time I took my place among them as their Heir and future Chief," Hiccup was sure of his decision now; it was made for him as soon as Askel gave the order. Everyone's eyes widened.

"S-Son…?" Stoick asked, shocked.

"I'm going back home, and I'm protecting it with everything I got," Hiccup stated firmly.


	56. All The Way

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

All The Way

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 7/8/2018-6:30 pm]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

There was nothing but silence and wide eyes after what Hiccup said so boldly and confidently too. Hiccup outright refused a direct order, threatened to quit the army, said he was a Viking, and returning home to the Archipelago to defend it. However, despite the shock; someone else felt the same way. Brynjar stepped up next to Hiccup, arms crossed over his chest as well.

"I go as well," Brynjar stated.

"Br-Brynjar?" Katja asked.

"Sorry, Kat. As firstborn son to Viggo, Chief of the Dragon Hunter Tribe; that makes me his Heir. Just as you are too. If Hiccup is going back to the islands to defend them, then so will I," Brynjar said firmly. Katja smiled now.

"Oh, I'm not going to stop you; I'll go as well. It'd be nice to see where I would have lived if things between mom and dad worked out," Katja informed.

"I can help with the dragons," Kelda nodded.

"I'm just going because that's where my family is going," Brenden shrugged. Viggo stood next to his eldest son.

Vera took her place next to Hiccup, a firm look in her eyes. "Firstborn daughter to second in command Ryker Grimborn of the Dragon Hunter Tribe; I will fight with my family and my boyfriend,"

"Dragon Hunter will fight on Hiccup's side," Viggo announced.

"Now…Wait just a sec-," Colden put his finger up, but he saw Strike Unit stand on either side of Brynjar and Hiccup.

"We go with our leader," Sigvard affirmed.

"Hiccup is right; this has to stop," Davyn stared.

"If you're sending our leader into dangerous territory…" Jolgeir began.

"We go too," Eirik finished.

"Strike Unit stays together," Oivind nodded. Colden's eyes widened when he saw Ander step with the group next.

"An-Ander?" Colden asked.

"Sorry, big brother…But I agree with Hiccup this time; I'll stand and fight with him," Ander remarked.

Brenna stood up. "Peaceable Country will fight as will the Shivering Shores,"

Soren and Signy nodded. "Murderous will fight, and so will the Uglithugs,"

"So will the Berserkers and Quiet Lifes." Heather joined in.

"Caldera Cay and Wingmaiden will jump in if we ask," Dagur added.

"Meathead is a close ally to Berk; we will assist as well," Thuggory informed.

"You can't all just make this decision!" Askel glared.

Camicazi stood. "Bog-Burglar will battle, so will Hysteria,"

"The Outcasts will join as well," Alvin stood beside Stoick. "And I know Bashem and Visithug will lend a hand,"

"Wave Riders of the Waterlands will fight," Eret stood beside Thuggory firmly. "And Lava-Lout"

"All the islands will fight," Gobber said sternly.

"Berk will fight behind my son on his leadership and orders," Stoick put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"Hi-Hiccup?" Mari and the Anderson kids frowned. "Y-You're leaving?"

"He's doing right by his home," Henrik said as he got up and stood on the other side of Hiccup. "And I will fight beside him, retired soldier or not,"

Mari smiled. "Our family stays together, Henrik. We may not fight, but we'll lend our support and any help we can provide,"

Hiccup stepped forward towards Askel now. "I'm not saying I won't complete the task ordered to me by headquarters, Major General Olsen…If you want me to capture the target; I will. But what I am telling you is that I'm doing it in a way where hopefully…Nobody gets hurt, and another war doesn't start," Hiccup said. "As you can see; if war begins…We will all fight for our homes,"

Colden went to yell at Hiccup, but Askel stopped him with a hand up. "If I station you back in the Archipelago; you will capture the target?" Askel asked.

"I will to the best of my abilities, sir," Hiccup nodded.

"Askel, you can't be-," Colden started.

"I'll make the arrangements," Askel stated.

"You're serious?" Colden asked. "This is against headquarters, Major General,"

"There may be a few extra steps involved, but the job will get done, Major Konger," Askel smiled. "If all it takes is sending Hiccup home; then so be it. I can grant a small request such as that; he's got passion, leadership, and determination. Besides…You and I will be joining the Strike Unit, Ander, and Lieutenant Holt,"

"Grimborn, sirs," Brynjar said, surprising Viggo. "My last name is Holt-Grimborn,"

"Oliversen-Grimborn," Katja giggled. "Sorry, just had to add that in,"

Colden sighed, defeated. "We're all getting court marshaled or discharged for this, so fuck it. Let's go stop a war! I'm in your corner, Haddock," he smiled.

"We're all on his side," Vera laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, son," Henrik and Stoick said at the same time; the two men laughed a little.

"Well, having two fathers should be interesting," Hiccup chuckled.

"I certainly don't mind sharing," Stoick mentioned. "I believe I owe you thanks for taking Hiccup in 8 years ago and helping him get this far,"

"I think we both did our fair share," Henrik stated, shaking Stoick's hand. Hiccup loved that his fathers were getting along.

"I'm proud of you too, Hiccup," Vera informed as Hiccup lowered his head and captured her lips with his in a passionate kiss. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Hiccup replied.

"Are you really coming back, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"Of course," Hiccup smiled now.

"A-Are you going to stay for a while?" Valda and Halvor wondered. Everyone looked at Hiccup now; sure, he was coming back to deal with this situation, but what about afterward when it was over?

"How about I stay forever?" Hiccup informed as everyone's eyes widened.

"Are you?!" the Berk group yelled quickly.

"Hiccup? A-Are you really going to return and live in the Archipelago again?" Vera asked, stunned with wide eyes.

"Y-You're going to live on Berk again?" Stoick inquired, surprised and overwhelmed.

"It's clear to me that I'm supposed to be there if somehow all of you ended up back in my life after I left 8 years ago. Call it fate, call it destiny, but I'm pretty sure all this threat of war is telling me is where I'm truly meant to belong. And I think it's time I come home," Hiccup responded. Yes; he was sure of his choice. After everything; Hiccup could not deny where he actually wanted to be, where he belonged. Hiccup held Emma in one arm, and his other wrapped around Vera's waist as he kissed her gently. "Now…This is still a party, so let's do what we do best!" he called out as everyone cheered.

 **. . .**

 _ **[1:30 am]**_

It was one hell of a celebration despite any of the serious moments. The two biggest events were that Hiccup and Stoick repaired their father/son relationship and Hiccup stated for all to hear that he was returning to the Archipelago to not only fight for it but reside once more. It was shocking and exciting to everyone. Hiccup swore up and down he would never go back, but it looked like things had changed and Hiccup felt like that is where he belonged after all. And nobody was going to challenge the decision either. A lot of the guests had begun to leave around 10:30 pm, but some stayed until much later on until now where Emma's final feeding of the night. Hiccup had just put her back to sleep in the nursery while the rest of the party-goers were grouping up to say goodnight.

"I love you," Hiccup held Vera's hand as the others were heading for the door after goodbyes.

"I love you too," Vera blushed gently.

"Might not be our anniversary anymore, but want to go enjoy some time by ourselves?" Hiccup whispered.

"Thought you'd never ask," Vera smiled.

"We're going to bed," Hiccup told the others.

"Night!" the rest called as Hiccup brought Vera into his bedroom, closing the door, and everyone heard the click of the door locking. Nobody argued as The Andersons and soldiers left; Henrik set the alarm as he walked out. The Vikings just started getting ready for bed, and the lights went out after Toothless flipped the switch.

 **. . .**

 _ **[1:40 am]**_

"It's quiet now, everyone is in bed," Vera said while laying on the bed next to Hiccup, staring up into his eyes. Hiccup leaned over and kissed her deeply. Vera returned in as they soon started making out; this continued for about 5 minutes until Hiccup broke the action and looking into Vera's brown eyes.

"I want to make love to you, Vera…" Hiccup confessed. Vera's eyes widened a little, but she ended smiling.

"Make love to me then," Vera replied. Hiccup captured her lips once more as the making out resumed.

 **(Lemon Begin)**

It didn't take long for Hiccup to get on top of Vera with his hands and knees on either side of her body as they kissed passionately with their tongues dancing together. At some point another 5 minutes later; Hiccup crawled backward and sat up on his knees, pulling Vera up onto hers and against his figure. The kissing didn't cease as Vera's hands moved from Hiccup's chest to the bottom of his shirt, grabbing hold and carefully lifting it up and over the top of Hiccup's head; this left his shirtless. Vera's hands moved up his back and around the front to lightly graze her fingers over Hiccup's slightly muscular upper half. Hiccup copied Vera's action by removing her shirt and throwing it off to the side, not caring where it landed.

Hiccup skimmed Vera's midsection, arms, and shoulders with his hands; she had really soft skin that Hiccup loved to feel against his body. Hiccup's hands reached around back of Vera, and unclipped her bra; then slid it off her arms and carelessly tossed it away. Hiccup brought his hands up to massage Vera's breasts; she released a small moan before Hiccup laid her down on the bed gently, staying on top of her as his kisses moved along her cheeks and to her neck.

"Oh, Hiccup…" Vera breathed out as Hiccup's hands continued massaging Vera's breasts. Hiccup used his thumbs to roll the nipples, and lightly twist them between his thumb and index fingers. Hiccup began to kiss down Vera's body more; he kept massaging one breast while lowering his mouth to the other, licking and sucking around and on the nipple. "Mmm…" Vera moaned. After a minute or so, Hiccup switched to use his mouth on the other breast. Hiccup moved down lower as he unbuttoned and unzipped Vera's pants; slowly pulling them down with her underwear. Like before; the articles of clothing were tossed haphazardly somewhere in the room.

Hiccup turned onto his right side and used his left hand to rub Vera's womanhood softly. "Ah…" Vera threw her head back at the feeling, moaning lightly. Hiccup moved his hand and began to eat Vera's pussy out slow. Hiccup let his tongue do most of the work by sliding up and down Vera's folds; he would occasionally flick his tongue over her clit and trace circles around the sensitive nub. "Hiccup…Gods, it feels so good," Vera panted softly.

Hiccup continued his mouth ministrations, tonguing at Vera's entrance for about 2 minutes before using two fingers and quickly sliding them inside her core. "Gods! Mmm," Vera cried out in pleasure as Hiccup begin to pump his fingers in and out slowly at first, then gradually picked up speed over the course of 5 minutes; he was determined to draw this out and let Vera enjoy everything making love had to offer. Vera's hands gripped the bed sheets tightly as her legs fidgeted, but Hiccup was using his body to keep them apart. Continuing for another 3 minutes; Hiccup began to lick and suck on just Vera's clit while curving his two fingers upward to hit Vera's G-spot. "Ah! Hiccup…I-I'm cumming!" the orgasm came out of nowhere, and Vera squirted a little.

Hiccup withdrew his fingers and mouth, wiping them on the bed before crawling back up to kiss Vera again as she calmed from her release a little. Vera locked her leg around Hiccup's leg and flipped him down onto his back as she was no on top. The action took him by surprise, but he didn't mind and thought it was hot. Vera smiled as she moved her hands down Hiccup's body, unbuttoning and unzipping the jeans; then Vera pulled them down and off of Hiccup. This allowed Hiccup's hardened length to spring up at attention before her face. Vera lightly moved closer as she held the base and brought the tip to her mouth before lowering her head and starting to suck up and down slowly.

"Oh, yes…" Hiccup moaned a little, relaxing now. Vera stayed at a steady speed for a minute or so; then she picked up speed for 15 seconds before adding her hand to the mix by stroking Hiccup up and down in time with how her mouth moved. "F-Fuck…" Hiccup breathed out, his hand moving to rest on top of Vera's head; his eyes closing at the feeling. Vera's actions continued for about 2 more minutes; in this time she picked up speed again and was bringing Hiccup's tip to the back of her throat. Hiccup actually gripped the bed at the feeling; it was actually new for him. Vera could hear him breathing hard, and moaning while she did this. Vera decided to up the pleasure with something she remembered Hiccup telling her that he loved.

Vera adjusted her hand to using just her thumb, index, and middle fingers; she did long, fast strokes while still sucking. "Ver! Yes, Gods….Fuck!" Hiccup's moaned louder as Vera didn't stop. "V-Ver…I-I'm gonna cum," he warned, but Vera didn't move as she had in the past. Hiccup grit his teeth as Vera felt his length twitch in her grasp and mouth. "I'm cumming," Hiccup panted as he released quickly; his semen entering Vera's mouth. After a few seconds, Hiccup was breathing hard while Vera moved her hand and swallowed; then licked Hiccup's length clean. "Odin above…" he laid there; his length twitching a little as Vera sat back on her knees smiling, happy she caused this relaxed, happy looking Hiccup before her.

Hiccup caught his beath, smiling as he got up and captured her lips with his in a deep, passionate kiss. Hiccup got on his knees, pulling Vera down with him and rolling, so she was back underneath his figure. "I love you," Vera said against his lips between the smaller kisses.

"I love you too," Hiccup replied. "You still want this, for me to make love to you?"

"I do," Vera nodded; her hands cupping his face.

"Alright," Hiccup scooched off the bed, sitting on the edge and opening the bottom drawer of his nightstand. Hiccup pulled out one of his condoms from the box. Vera kind of glanced over, curious about what Hiccup was doing; she recalled Hiccup talking about males wearing protection to aid in women not getting pregnant during intercourse. Vera assumed that this is what Hiccup was putting on. Hiccup tore open the square package carefully; then he pulled out the circle object inside. Hiccup set it on the head of his cock and rolled his hands down as Vera saw how the condom actually worked and went on now, and it was interesting. Hiccup pinched the little nipple-looking bubble at the top as it released the air.

Vera laid back on the bed as Hiccup adjusted himself onto his hands and knees over her. "Ready?" Hiccup asked softly. Vera nodded to her, but she was still a little nervous. "It's okay; I know it's your first time. I'll be as gentle as possible," he assured.

"O-Okay," Vera replied. Hiccup held the base of his hardened length while balancing on the one arm. Hiccup moved in until the head of his cock was at Vera's entrance. Vera took a deep breath as Hiccup began to push in slowly. Vera hissed a bit, quickly gripping Hiccup's shoulders. Hiccup stopped and looked at her. "I-It stings a little," she admitted.

"I know…Olivia said the same thing during our first time, but it'll fade once I'm in and start moving," Hiccup promised.

"I trust you," Vera responded. "Go ahead," Hiccup moved his hips more, pushing himself inside of Vera a little faster than before. Vera's nails dug into Hiccup's arms as she whimpered a little, closing her eyes.

"Ssh…It's alright. I'm in, and I'll stay still until you say it's alright to move. Unless you wanna stop? Just say the word," Hiccup informed.

Vera took a few deep breaths, unclenching her inner walls from around Hiccup's cock and releasing the death-grip she had on Hiccup's arms. "Do-Don't want…t-to stop, j-just…need a minute," Vera informed. Hiccup lowered himself a bit, kissing Vera again to distract her from the pain of his cock in her pussy. To Vera, Hiccup didn't have a lean penis like the rest of his body. No, Hiccup was not only big in length, but girth too; Hiccup was a little above average. The kissing led to a little more making out, and Vera soon relaxed her entire body with Hiccup still inside her. "You can move now," Vera informed.

Hiccup started rocking his hips back and forth slowly. Vera didn't feel anything but pleasure; she held Hiccup's arms while he moved. After a couple of minutes; Hiccup started going a bit faster, and Vera loved how it felt. "Mm…Hiccup," she moaned. Hiccup smiled as he kissed her again. "M-More…" she asked. Hiccup adjusted himself onto his knees and pulled Vera closer by her hips, beginning to thrust into her his girlfriend harder and faster. "Hiccup! Yes!" she cried out at how amazing it was.

"Gods, Vera…" Hiccup groaned in pleasure.

"S-So good…" Vera panted. After a few moments; Hiccup fixed Vera's legs, so they were over his arms and more spread apart. Vera moaned louder as Hiccup continued his thrusts in and out of her. She couldn't get over over great it felt, and she already felt another orgasm building. Hiccup ceased his movements for a second to get his hands on the undersides of her thighs, pushing her legs to her chest gently and thrusting harder and faster than before. "Hiccup! Gods, yes!" Hiccup was in much deeper now, and Vera loved it; she craved more. "Mo-More!" she begged.

Hiccup did this position for another minute or so before stopping to shift Vera onto her hands and knees as Hiccup placed his length at her core again; he pushed in hard and fast. Vera's walls tightened around him as he gripped her hips and continued thrusting at the pace he assumed she wanted more of. "I-If you tighten l-like that; I'll cum again…" Hiccup warned.

"Ca-Can't help…it…Feels too g-good…" Vera panted. Hiccup held this position for close to 4 minutes before he stopped and pulled out again. Vera almost whimpered as the feeling left her. Hiccup got Vera on her back and pulled her to the edge of the bed, pushing in hard and fast. "Ah! Mmm…" she moaned. Hiccup did this for a few minutes before he lifted her up and Vera instinctively locked her legs around his waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. Hiccup got her back against the wall, holding her hips and thrusting upward. "Thor, yes. Mm…Fuck…" Vera and Hiccup were both sweating now but didn't stop over it.

The two of them started making out once more as Hiccup continued his movements this way for 5 minutes. "S-Shit…I'm gonna cum soon…" Hiccup growled almost.

"Ca-Can I be on top?" Vera breathed out heavily. Hiccup pulled her off the wall and back over to the bed as he laid back allowing Vera to be on top of him now. Vera fixed her legs and put her hands on either side of Hiccup's head while starting to move her hips back and forth.

"Gods…" Hiccup moaned as his hands rested on his girlfriend's hips again. Vera continued her actions, eventually beginning to lift herself up and down on Hiccup's cock. "Ver…It's too good; I'm gonna cum…" Hiccup started moving with her; his thrusts meeting Vera's motions.

"Ah! Hiccup…I'm close!" Vera cried out. Hiccup stopped thrusting upward as he carefully got Vera off him and laying back on the bed while assuming the Hiccup on his knees, and Vera's legs spread apart and pushed to her chest position. "Ah! Harder…Faster, Hiccup," Vera pleaded panting. Hiccup knew he'd cum almost instantly, but he did it anyway. Hiccup adjusted himself and started pounding into her hard and fast. "Dear Gods, yes!" she yelled out. "Mmm…Yeah, yeah…Right there, baby,"

"F-Fuck…I-I can't…" Hiccup grit his teeth as he tried to hold back.

"Hiccup…I-I'm gonna cum!" Vera moaned as her walls tightened around him and her back arched a little. Hiccup brought his hand to Vera's pussy, thumbing the area just above her clit. "Ah…I'm cumming…Hiccup, I'm cumming!" she nearly squeaked out at the feeling. As soon as she tightened again and lifted her hips; it sent Hiccup over the edge. "Hiccup!"

"I'm cumming…Gods! Vera!" Hiccup slammed in one more time and came at the same time Vera did. Vera squirted a lot as Hiccup released hard and fast; his length twitching within her core still as the two of them collapsed fully, Hiccup on top of Vera. They breathed heavy, trying to catch their breaths as the orgasms rolled through like waves in a storm; it shook them with pleasure, and they both trembled from how amazing it felt.

 **(Lemon End)**

When Hiccup felt he could actually move again; he held the condom in place and pulled out his girlfriend slowly. Hiccup backed up and sat on the edge of the bed as he removed the condom and tossed it in the garbage can beside his bed. Hiccup stood up, glancing back at Vera who was still sprawled out on the bed. Hiccup grabbed a towel and let Vera clean off first; then he did the same before the two snuggled up together in one another's arms in Hiccup's bed.

The two shared a few small kisses, and entirely exhausted after everything; it was going on 3:20 am. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too, Vera…Let's get some sleep," Hiccup told her. Vera only nodded as they kissed again and it didn't take much longer for both of them to fall fast asleep.


	57. Goodbye Denmark, Hello Archipelago

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Goodbye Denmark, Hello Archipelago

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 7/20/2018-9:00 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Hiccup's House]_

Despite fully knowing what Hiccup and Vera did on the 8th of July; nobody said a word about it the next morning. Not even Viggo. It had been about 2 weeks since all that; Hiccup and Vera had made love about 3 other times. On top of all that Hiccup finished teaching the group about Tidal Class. Finally, they would be moving into Strike Class on Monday. Hiccup figured they could use a break from the learning for a few days; he was going to take them to the academy today; let them interact with the dragons and see if anyone would just bond as Vera did with Moodscale. Of course, Hiccup wasn't telling them about this; it was going to be a surprise. Hiccup hadn't thought twice about his decision to leave Denmark and return to the Archipelago; he knew what he wanted. Yes, he loved everything he experienced and learned over the last 8 years, but he knew his place was with the Vikings in the Archipelago.

"So, what's the plan today?" Astrid inquired smiling.

"Well, I was thinking of taking us on a little field trip to the academy," Hiccup smiled as they all stopped a moment. "Let you interact with the dragons…Possibly bond…" he grinned a bit.

"Are you going to let us?!" they shouted.

"I said _possibly_. We'll see what happens; it's true that a human can initiate a bond with a dragon…But's it not nearly as strong as when the dragon picks you, so let's just see how it goes," Hiccup informed. At the moment, he was feeding Emma, and of course, his phone rang. Hiccup glanced over to see that it was Colden calling. "Oh, boy…" Hiccup sighed. "Dad, can you finish feeding Em for me?"

"Sure, son. Hand 'er over," Stoick smiled. Hiccup got up and gave Emma to Stoick; he took the bottle and continued feeding his granddaughter. Hiccup grabbed his phone and put it to his ear after tapping the answer icon on the screen.

"Haddock here," Hiccup said. "Yes, I know it's you, Major Kongur…What's up?" he asked. There was a bit of silence. "Understood, sir," he replied after a few moments. "See you on Sunday, bye," Hiccup slid the phone into his pocket sighing.

"What's wrong?" Vera inquired.

"You guys need to pack up by Sunday morning at 5 am," Hiccup stated.

"What? Why?" Viggo inquired quickly.

"Colden said it was time for you to return to the islands," Hiccup shrugged.

"B-But you're supposed to be coming with us?" Fishlegs reminded.

"I'm sure I will at some point or another, but I can't leave until they say I can. You're going back Sunday at 6 am; the flight is about 2 hours and 20 minutes between the takeoff, flight time, and landing. You should be back on Berk for 8:30 am, but with the time change…It'll actually be 7:30 am," Hiccup said calmly.

"Y-You promise you're coming back, right?" Vera asked softly.

"Ver, I promise that as soon as they let me leave Denmark; I'll be back in the Archipelago. Unfortunately, requested duty station transfers can take time to go through," Hiccup confessed as he hugged her tightly. "I meant what I said about coming home, Milady,"

"I believe you," Vera nodded.

"How will we keep in contact until you do?" Gobber wondered.

"I'll think of something; maybe I can send Sharpshot with letters. I'm not entirely sure how advanced they've set up the technology in the islands yet, so phones and internet may be unavailable," Hiccup remarked.

"But…Brynjar was able to call from Dragon Hunter?" Alvin recalled.

"He was using an issued Satellite Phone from the military. Sat phones send signals to satellites in space near you, then bounce said signals to the satellites closer to here. Those devices don't use the same network a standard phone does," Hiccup explained.

"Who is Sharpshot?" Ruffnut asked.

"Oh, he's my Terrible Terror. I, uh, trained him to deliver messages for me. Kind'a like mail service, just faster. I can train him to find people wherever they are, so maybe I can do that to update you on things until I get there," Hiccup sighed. Nobody liked it; they hoped Hiccup was coming with them, but it seemed there was still a wait.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Sunday, 7/22/2018-5:45 am]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Airport]_

"Time to load 'em up, Hiccup!" Colden called over the noise. Hiccup nodded once and looked at the Vikings, all packed with their small suitcases of clothes and personal items.

"Alright, in ya go," Hiccup told the Vikings. Slowly; the 20 boarded and Hiccup came up the stairs and made sure they were seated, belted, and bags secured before hugging Stoick, Gobber, Valda, Halvor, and Vera. Hiccup stood at the front of the plane by the door. "Everything is gonna be fine; I promise. You'll land on Berk in about 2 hours, then there will boats to take you to your home islands. I'll know when you've landed, and I'll find a way to contact you," he said over the loud engines.

"See you soon?" Stoick asked.

"As soon as I'm able; I'll be home, Dad. I love you, guys," Hiccup said to his father and half-siblings. "Ver, I love you, Milady,"

"I love you too, Hiccup!" Vera replied.

"Haddock, off, now!" Colden ordered. Hiccup took a final look at them before he headed past the door; then he closed and secured it before getting down the stairs and looked at them through the windows. Not more than 5 minutes later, the plane was headed down the runway and taking off into the early morning sky at 6:05 am. Hiccup watch until he couldn't see the plane anymore; then sighed.

"Why didn't you send me with them?" Hiccup asked quietly.

"The transfer hasn't been made yet," Colden informed. Hiccup grumbled a bit before whistling for Toothless and jumping on his back; the two were gone back to Dragor seconds later.

 **. . .**

 _ **[7:45 am]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago; Docks]_

Just as Hiccup had promised; the flight went smoothly, and they reached Berk on time. By 7:45 am; they were deboarded and standing in the center of town staring at all the changes made in the last 7 months.

"Chief! You're back!" Spitelout reached them, shaking his brother's hand; then hugging Snotlout. Frida Jorgenson, Snotlout's mother, and Spitelout's wife hugged Snotlout next.

"We are," Stoick nodded. "I see much has changed,"

"Bigger and sturdier homes, shops, foods, animals, furniture, transportation," Spitelout listed off.

"These people have done incredibly fast work, and it's like this on all the islands too!" Frida chuckled.

"Yes…Hiccup said there would major changes," Stoick sighed.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Snotlout inquired.

"Love it; it's everything Hiccup promised at the start of this situation. I just wish my son were home too," Stoick stated.

"You heard him, Stoick; he said he wasn't coming back," came Buffnut Thorston's voice; father of Tuffnut and Ruffnut. He strolled up with his wife, Hilde to greet their twins.

"No, you're mistaken; Hiccup plans to return to us," Fishlegs beamed as he greeted his parents, Sharklegs and Ingrida Ingerman. Astrid was hugging her mother, Alvina Hofferson, and then her father, Calder immediately afterward.

"Does he?" Calder asked.

"Yeah; you've missed so much," Gobber informed. "We'll get everyone up to speed tonight,"

"No, we won't. I don't want to go spreading Hiccup's personal business without his permission…I just got his forgiveness; I will not risk losing it. We'll just inform everyone that Hiccup is going to be coming home, and when he is settled and ready, he can tell everyone whatever he wants to reveal," Stoick stated firmly.

"Are we staying for now?" Camicazi asked.

"Heirs are to return to their islands," a soldier remarked while approaching them. "This is by order of their parents," he added. "Come, we have everything ready for transportation," the man stated firmly. Vera frowned a little as Stoick turned to face her.

"I promise that as soon as I hear word from Hiccup on when he is returning, all will be invited back to Berk, and we'll throw him a welcome home party that he'll never forget," Stoick smiled with his hand on Vera's shoulder. "As promised when all this began 8 years ago; Hiccup will be welcomed home and treated as he always should have been,"

Vera nodded. "I know; I just miss him already…And wonder how he's feeling at the sudden change," she said gently.

 **. . .**

 _ **[8:45 am]  
**_ _[Dragor, Denmark; Haddock Home]_

Hiccup decided not to go right home after dropping the Vikings off at the airport; he needed time in the air to think. However, he knew Emma would be up soon, and right now; she was with the Andersons at his house. Hiccup returned home and got off of Toothless. Sighing, Hiccup entered the house; instantly, things felt wrong. Hiccup had gotten so used to waking up, cooking breakfast, spending the day teaching. And now, he was in the house, and it felt empty; he felt alone.

"Welcome home, son," Henrik greeted. Hiccup didn't say anything at first as he looked around, sadly almost.

"8 years ago, all I wanted to do was get as far away from the Vikings as possible. I said I'd never go back…And now the only thing I want to do is return. I…Never thought I'd miss them this much," Hiccup informed as he stood at the hallway of the bedrooms where the 20 Vikings had stayed, leaning on the wall.

"Amazing how much you end up missing people you thought you'd never see again after spending so much time with them and getting the interaction and life you always wanted before you left, isn't it?" Henrik came beside him.

Hiccup sighed, closing his eyes. "I never thought I'd see them again. I never thought I'd end up so protective over them the more this threat of war came to light; even using my status as an Heir to make HQ see where I was coming from in them launching a half-assed attack or plan. I never thought I'd fall in love…Gods; it's unreal how much of an impact them being around had on my life over the last 7 months," he confessed.

"Son, everything happens for a reason," Henrik put a hand on his shoulder. "There are things in our lives that we'll never understand why or how they happen, but everything that happens is for a reason. Maybe it was supposed to be this way all along, you know?" he stated.

"How?" Hiccup wondered.

"Son, think about everything in the last 8 years. You left the Archipelago because nobody believed you could do anything, and no one accepted you as you were. You wanted adventure, a new life…And you got all that. You learned about a new life, are currently living it too. You made friends, found love….You've loved and lost…But, somehow; you ended up back in the Archipelago and chose to save them. And now they've gotten so see the real you, and understand you've always been this way. They accept you, and you accept that you're a Viking too. Maybe you were always meant to change things for them. And it took a big event like you leaving for them to see what was always there," Henrik informed.

"Maybe…All I know is that with all this going on; I feel like I'm needed back there. Look at me; I used to say I hated them for the fact they made me feel so low I wanted to end my life…And the first sign of trouble; I immediately jumped into a protective position for them. I exercised my right as a Tribe Heir, refusing to allow HQ to endanger my people…Not just my Tribe but all of them…I even said I'd fight against all of you… Perhaps you're right, Dad…Maybe everything was supposed to happen, and all they needed was the right kick in the ass to see I've always been me and could do the things they believed I couldn't…" Hiccup sighed.

Hiccup looked away now, closing his eyes. "There were times I didn't even believe I could lead the Tribe if I became Chief…Or protect them from danger. Now it's all I want to do and willing to risk my life to make happen. Despite everything that happened, destiny, fate, or just sheer dumb luck…I feel like I belong there, and I can't possibly imagine my life without them. I feel more alone now than I did before I left…Not in the depressed, want to die kind of way, but you know what I mean,"

"I understand," Henrik nodded. "You'll be home soon,"

"And we're coming with you, son," Mari said gently.

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"You're part of our family, Hiccup; we want to be where you are," Britta smiled. "Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen can do their schooling there. A-And mom can be a doctor anywhere. Dad can give the academy to someone else to run,"

"Y-You'd really all just up and leave Denmark to keep me in your lives? I mean, I'd always come to visit and stuff…But still, you'd give up your lives here?" Hiccup asked.

"Of course, son," Henrik chuckled. "The Oliversen's are leaving too. I believe Kelda wants to be with Viggo, and give him a second chance even though Brenden isn't happy about it. Brynjar and Katja want to see where they originated,"

"And Strike Unit will follow you anywhere," Lukas said.

"Colden and Ander are coming too, to stay permanently. I guess you could say that everyone wants to stand by you for this fight, and continue to follow your leadership because you have everyone's best interest at heart," Henrik smiled.

"I-I can't believe this," Hiccup said, astonished about how many people wanted to come with him to see this through all the way. There was a knock on the door as Hiccup looked towards it. "Yeah?" Colden walked in smiling.

"Ready to go home, Lieutenant?" Colden asked.

"More than I ever thought I'd be," Hiccup replied. "I-Is my stationing finalized?"

Colden nodded. "Start packing up, Hic. There's going to be a C-130 to take you back to the Archipelago on Saturday, August 4th at 1100 hours,"

"Re-Really?" Hiccup said quickly.

"Yes, and there will be truck here to pick up anything you want to take with you at 0900 hours on Friday the 3rd, to pack everything up," Colden smiled. "And I'm sure your father has already told you who is transferring as well," Hiccup nodded his head, overjoyed. In two weeks; he'd be home. "Shall I tell everyone back in the Archipelago?"

"No…No; I want it to be a surprise," Hiccup stated.

"No problem. We'll see you in 2 weeks, Lieutenant," Colden replied.

"See you then, Major…And thank you," Hiccup informed softly.

"Don't thank me; this was all you," Colden remarked before shaking Hiccup's hand; then he left. Hiccup couldn't wait for the 4th of August to come; he was going home.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Saturday, 8/4/2018-10:30 am]  
**_ _[Copenhagen, Denmark; Airport]_

As soon as the news was revealed of when everyone was leaving; those who had said they were going started to get ready with taking care of final business in Denmark and packing up whatever they wanted to take with them. Hiccup packed up his house in a record-breaking amount of time; just two weeks. Yesterday on the 3rd, Hiccup spent the entire day with the movers getting his things packed up in a storage container which would be transported to the Archipelago after Hiccup arrived; he made sure that things he'd need right away were at the front and easily accessible. Hiccup had a suitcase for himself and Emma to carry onto the plane with him. Hiccup sold his house, which was a bit emotional for him, but he knew he wouldn't be coming back. Hiccup did take all of his albums, movies, electronics, furniture; he wasn't leaving anything behind. And he was keeping one of the keys to his old place; sentimental value.

Hiccup reached the airport at 9:30 am and got himself, and Emma checked in; then he located his departure gate. Hiccup could already see the plane arriving on the strip and pulling up. "Ready to go home, son?" Henrik asked. Hiccup quickly turned to see the Andersons and Oliversens with Brynjar. Ander, Colden, and Askel were present too, and coming right behind was Strike Unit.

"You have no idea," Hiccup smiled wide; he was wearing dark brown pants, a long-sleeve green shirt with a little V-cut at the neckline and it had brown strings going across is, he was even wearing brown boots. Hiccup looked exactly as he did the day he arrived when he was 14.

"I hope we're not late," came a familiar voice to Hiccup. Looking, Hiccup saw the 3 lead HQ leaders stroll up with bags over their shoulders.

"General Bentsen. Admiral Isben. Marshal Nielsen…What are you doing here?" Askel inquired.

"Well, we had a last-minute meeting this morning at 0700; we decided after everything that we should be directly involved in this thing," Vidar stated.

"I…Beg your pardon, sirs?" Hiccup blinked.

"We're coming along," Einar informed.

"Whatever for?" Colden inquired.

"Hiccup's desire to protect his home is rather inspiring, and we'd like to see first hand how an elite special forces Viking Soldier does things. We're coming to observe," Sigmund said.

"You know what, I'm not even going to respond to this right now…I'm pretty sure you have better uses for your time. But hey; you're the guys in charge, so I guess if you feel you need to _observe_ , then have at it," Hiccup shrugged as he looked out the window with a smile; everyone could see how excited he was. Hiccup looked like a kid in a candy store, but nobody cared; they knew he was happy.

" _ **Flight Alpha C-130 from Copenhagen, Denmark to the Faroe Islands, now boarding at Gate 1A. Alpha C-130; Denmark to the Faroe Islands, now boarding at Gate 1A. Thank you,"**_ announced the man standing at the desk right by the gate door; it opened as Hiccup was first up with Emma in her infant carrier and bags. Hiccup handed over their tickets and were allowed to head down the corridor. Hiccup took a spot right up front and buckled Emma in first; then he took care of the bags before sitting down and strapping himself in. Everyone else made it on and followed suit. By 11:10 am; the plane was heading down the runway as Hiccup looked out the window, smiling gently.

 _Goodbye Denmark…_ Hiccup thought as the plane lifted higher and higher into the air. _Hello Archipelago._ Hiccup closed his eyes and relaxed. In about 2 ½ hours; he would be home for good. __


	58. I Got All I Need

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

I Got All I Need

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Saturday, 8/4/2018-2:00 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

Hiccup could not believe that whoever planned the trip into the Archipelago didn't think about the fact that a C-130 plane would never be able to land in the water. Not more than 30 minutes in the air, and the plane was turning around to get back to Denmark to do a switch into a seaplane that carried about 35 people. After all that, and leaving around 1 pm Denmark time; Hiccup was finally in the Archipelago at 3 pm, but it was only 2 pm with the time difference. The plane would be landing in about 5 minutes, and the dragons were following right behind. Hiccup could only stare out the window and smile as he saw the islands come into sight.

"Excited, Hiccup?" Ander asked.

"Don't even get me started…" Hiccup replied. "It's going to be so different,"

"Oh, yes. Big changes on the islands," Sigmund stated.

"Not what I was talking about," Hiccup rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. "Gods, there's gonna be so much to do now that I'm back,"

"What do you mean?" Colden asked.

"How many times do I have to say that I'm the Heir?" Hiccup muttered. "I wouldn't be surprised if my father announces that he's making me Chief, and I become that before 2019 starts," he chuckled.

"Would he do that?" Brynjar inquired.

"I have no doubts…I know he wants to retire; he's been Chief of Berk since he was about 17. He's…turning 53 in September. That's…36 years. Most Chieftains hand the title to their son or daughter when they've reached between the ages of 18 and 21; that's after they've completed their training for the job too," Hiccup explained. "I would have started at 18 or 19 if I'd stayed," he added.

"Won't you have to go through the training?" Mari wondered.

"Not sure; I know a lot about the job already. I was pretty ignored back in the day; had a lot of time to read and study or get answers from Gobber," Hiccup informed. "Chiefing is just like…Well, it's running your island and leading your people. It's a Chief's duty is to his people, assuring they are taken care of and safe. No job too big or small; stuff like that," he said.

"Your father would likely name you Chief because of the emotions and drive you displayed in Denmark to keep them safe," Brenden enlightened.

"That would be my best guess," Hiccup nodded. "I guess it doesn't matter to me if my dad does it or not; I wouldn't mind being Chief, at least now 8 years later don't mind," he laughed a little. "For the longest time, I didn't believe I could do such a demanding job. And nobody else believed I could either; it was one of the reasons I left in the first place. I didn't want to stay in a place where I didn't feel wanted by anyone or accepted for who I was. Perhaps I never truly hated them; just how I was treated by them. But sometimes…That doesn't matter. It's still my birthright to run the Hooligan Tribe one day, and no matter personal feelings; A Chief Protects His Own. That's something my father always told me growing up, and now…I finally understand what he means. Seems like all that has changed as they can see that I've always been capable…I guess maybe I needed to leave to find my confidence to believe I could do it. Who can believe in you if you don't believe in yourself?" I smiled.

"Atta boy," Henrik ruffled his hair.

" _ **Attention passengers, at this time we ask that you return to your seats, place your folding trays in their upright and locked position; then fasten your seat belt as we begin our descent to the Isle of Berk. We'd like to thank you for choosing Viking Sea Airlines for your travel needs, and we hope you've had a nice flight. We'll be landing in 2 minutes,"**_ the pilot announced.

Hiccup fixed himself and buckled up; he glanced over at Emma who was still asleep. Hiccup just fed her at 1:30 pm, but technically it was 2:30 for the time zone she was used to. Hiccup would have to adjust the schedule a bit, but he didn't mind. Emma was going on 3 months old come the 13th of August, which wasn't too far away. Hiccup couldn't wait for his; he was excited to be in the Archipelago again, and that he would be living back on Berk with his father and Tribe.

"You're gonna have to introduce us to everyone," Vidar informed.

"I'll introduce you to the Chieftains and Heirs, but the rest you can do on your own time. It would take days, weeks even to get through everyone. Not even I know every member of every Tribe; it's not my job too. I associate with the people I'd be working with as the next Chief," Hiccup said looking out the windows as he saw Toothless and Lightheart lead in the group of dragons with them towards the island.

 **. . .**

"He's here!" Vera screamed excitedly, alerting Stoick and everyone else that Hiccup was back. Yes, they ended up learning about Hiccup returning because Askel opened his big mouth, and Hiccup didn't know they knew. As Stoick promised; they were throwing a party to welcome Hiccup home, and that was all set up in the village square. The Chieftains, their spouses, and offsprings were invited. Obviously, not everyone could come, or it would overcrowd the island.

"Are you sure?" Stoick stood up.

"I just saw Toothless and Lightheart with the other dragons!" Vera beamed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Gobber smiled. Not long after, everyone was making their way towards where the plane would be landing; they could see it coming in and just beginning to touch water and skid across to a slow stop. Inside the plane, Hiccup saw the gathering and looked at Colden.

"I thought I said don't tell them," Hiccup mumbled.

"My fault…" Askel chuckled a little. Hiccup glared a little but got over it as the plane was coming to a stop on the water. The plane stopped, and the door opened less than a minute later. Hiccup quickly unbuckled himself and Emma from the carrier as he carefully hurried down the stairs.

"I don't think I've ever seen him move so fast," Brynjar blinked as Ander, Colden, and Strike Unit agreed with nods while they prepared to get their things and head to deboard as well. Outside, Hiccup reached the bottom and ran right towards his father.

"Oh, son! You're home at last!" Stoick stepped forward and hugged Hiccup tightly, being careful of Emma, though.

"I am…I'm home, Dad," Hiccup replied quieter as the pair tried to control their overwhelming emotions. After a few moments; the father and son split apart as Stoick briskly wiped away the tears that had slipped from his eyes. "I'm home where I belong for good…" Hiccup promised. Stoick nodded and kissed Hiccup's forehead.

"Now, hand over my granddaughter," Stoick demanded with a laugh. Hiccup gave Emma to Stoick as Halvor and Valda were next to jump into their big brother's arms.

"Hiccup!" the twins cheered happily. As this was going on…

"Kelda! Brynjar! Katja!" Viggo exclaimed quickly, having not expected to see them. The Oliversens and Brynjar were being given a warm welcome from Viggo. Even Brenden gave Viggo a handshake and told him that they were moving back to the Archipelago too. Vera greeted her two cousins, Kelda and Brenden; then her youngest cousins, Dagny and Rowan. The rest of the group who came were just kind of staying back and out of the way until it was over.

"Oh, I've missed you two," Hiccup said gently.

"We missed you too, big brother," Halvor and Valda giggled before Hiccup put them down as he finally turned to face his girlfriend whom he hadn't seen for two weeks.

"And you…I don't have the word to express how much I've missed you…" Hiccup smiled.

"I'll settle for a hug and kiss," Vera replied softly.

"Done," Hiccup nodded as he grabbed Vera's hand and pulled her against his frame. Hiccup cupped her cheek with his hand and drew her in for a hard, passionate kiss. Vera wrapped her arms around Hiccup's neck, and his hands rested on her hips as they made out a little; then finally, Hiccup embraced her tightly when the kiss ended. After that, the two separated, but Vera stayed beside Hiccup while smiling contently.

"Welcome home, lad," Gobber said as Hiccup bent a little to hug the man who had basically raised him and Hiccup considered to be his crazy uncle at best.

"Thanks, Gobber," Hiccup said as he stepped out of the hug.

"Hi, Hiccup!" Astrid and Fishlegs said waving.

"Sup, cuz?" Snotlout stated.

"Hey, Hic," Ruffnut and Tuffnut grinned.

"Hey, guys," Hiccup replied. "Not everyone had to gather for this…You weren't supposed to know I was coming back; I wanted to surprise you,"

"Well, we got the surprise two weeks ago when Askel told us. And it's a surprise to see everyone else too. What's all this about?"

"Well, we felt Hiccup should have to come back here and fight for the islands without a little backup," Sigvard said.

"So, we decided to come with him, and stay," Davyn nodded. "Brynjar and the Oliversen's came because Katja and Brynjar want to learn about the Tribe they are part of and see where they came from,"

"We came because we promised Hiccup that he would not stand alone in this fight," Colden said.

"We're staying too," Ander informed.

"I came to oversee everything until the end, as did the highest ranking members of headquarters; we'll be leaving once everything is over," Askel stated.

"Well, we have a surprise for you, Hiccup," Vera giggled happily now.

"Oh?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"We're shocked you missed the giant banner on the Great Hall," Astrid laughed. Hiccup looked now to see a large sign that said; _Welcome Home, Hiccup!_

"Never thought I'd see something like that given how things were when I left…" Hiccup admitted.

"Son, 8 years ago…I stood in this very spot after reading your letter," Stoick said with a hand on his shoulder as Hiccup looked at him. "And I said that when you were found and came home; you would be welcomed with open arms and full acceptance. I couldn't hold the searches forever, but I never stopped hoping you were alive and that I'd get to see you again,"

"Dad…" Hiccup said, shocked to learn of this.

"Stoick's right, Hiccup. Your father immediately ordered all available hands to pack up and load the ships to find and bring you home," Spitelout Jorgenson informed.

"Yeah; he sent ships out in every direction for an entire year," Calder Hofferson nodded.

"And enlisted in our help to search as well. At one point, every Tribe was looking for you, Hiccup," Oswald Bazirk claimed.

"Your dad said that you've always been like your mom, and he should have accepted you as you were long ago. Also, he stated you were Heir to the Hooligans, his son, and he wanted you home where you belonged," Fishlegs smiled.

"And he would make sure you never forget it," Tuffnut added in.

"Don't worry, I won't…" Hiccup vowed.

"We set up a whole party just for you," Stoick said.

"Thanks, Dad…" Hiccup responded. "But I've got so much unpacking to do…" he mumbled.

"Then we'll help you, babe," Vera offered.

"Are you planning to live at home again?" Stoick wondered. "I made sure your room didn't get moved or touched other than when the renovation happened. A-And there's a room next to yours for Emma. I also assumed you might want your second family close, so there are extra rooms for them in my house,"

"Thanks, Dad. Seriously…And it'd be nice to live at home again," Hiccup said. "I don't mind doing so,"

"Where are we staying?" Oivind inquired.

"Looks like there are hotels and temporary barracks here now…" Hiccup noticed. "Which do you prefer?"

"Probably hotel," the 5 from Strike Unit agreed.

"Same," Askel interjected.

"Us too," Einar said.

"I'm going to Dragon Hunter with the Oliversens, and Brynjar," Ander said.

"I'll remain here," Colden told Hiccup.

"Excellent," Stoick stated while standing behind Hiccup. "We can do the party tonight then," he added. There was a cargo helicopter seen and heard overhead.

"And that is the rest of my stuff," Hiccup smiled.

"Hey, Lieutenant Haddock. Where do you want it?" called someone from the open back.

"You can't land here! Hover and lower it down next to that house on the hill by the hall!" Hiccup yelled back.

"Aye, sir!" the man saluted.

"Be right back. Toothless!" Hiccup called out. The Night Fury landed next to him as Hiccup got on his back and headed for Stoick's house.

"I still can't over the dragon riding thing…" Ryker Grimborn, Viggo's older brother, stated.

"Pretty cool, right?" Brynjar chuckled. "And Hiccup's the best flier around,"

"And trainer," Katja added.

"And one hell of a soldier too," Ander reminded. As the storage crate was being lowered, one of the cables snapped.

"Oh, that's bad…" Eirik mentioned.

"We can reconnect the spare, but we've gotta even out the box before the rest snap under the pressure of it being unleveled," one of the operators in the back told Hiccup.

"I'll support the weight; just don't waste time. Get under it, bud," Hiccup commanded. Toothless did so as Hiccup crouched and stood up on Toothless's back; then he put his hands on the bottom of the crate and pushed it up with Toothless's help.

"Hold it there!" the man called.

"Easier fucking said than done! Hurry up!" Hiccup grunted. It took about 3 minutes, but the spare cable got connected.

"All set, Lieutenant!" someone yelled down. Hiccup let go of the crate, and Toothless moved them out from under it rather quickly. After another 5 minutes, the crate was next to Stoick's house and the cables disconnected from it.

"Thanks!" Hiccup waved as they headed off.

"You know we could have helped, right?" Jolgeir rolled his eyes when Toothless landed near them, and Hiccup got off.

"Your dragons would not have been able to move you fast enough if the rest of the wires gave out and the crate crashed down," Hiccup reminded. "Okay, maybe the Strike Class dragons could have, but still…No big deal," he shrugged. "Alright…I can't unpack everything because I literally brought the whole house…"

"How'd you fit everything?" Heather asked.

"Carefully…" Hiccup sighed. "It's not everything. But all the furniture, electronics, movies…" he listed off.

"Why can't you unpack it all?" Vera wondered.

"Way too much to fit in homes of this size; I'll leave it in storage until I have my own place built," Hiccup said. "I only need mine and Emma's bedroom stuff right now; the rest can be unpacked over time,"

"Okay, let's get to it then," Ander said.

 **. . .**

 _ **[5:30 pm]**_

It took a couple hours to get everything done, but it was at last. Hiccup was moved back into his old room, and Emma in the smaller room right beside his; there was even a connecting door so Hiccup wouldn't have to get in the hallway and over to Emma's bedroom. Stoick's room was across the hall from Hiccup's, and both rooms were right by stairs to get get down to the next level. Henrik and Mari were at the end of the hall across from Hagen and Lukas's room, which was near the second floor bathroom. Lilly and Britta's room was across from Emma's. Also…Hiccup had his own personal bathroom because Stoick figured it would be something Hiccup was used to. Hiccup appreciated that his father was trying to make it like how Hiccup had it in Denmark.

Jolgeir, Sigvard, Davyn, Oivind, Eirik, Colden, Askel, Einar, Vidar, and Sigmund were set up in the hotel; it was temporary until homes were built for them Colden and Strike Unit. Askel and the 3 members from HQ would not be living on Berk permanently; just until the war situation was handled. Ander would be going back to Hunter Isle tomorrow or the next day with Kelda, Brenden, Katja, Brynjar, Dagny, Rowan, Viggo, Ryker, and Hertha. Vera would be staying with Hiccup for a week or so, which nobody minded, and at the same time, who was going to fight Hiccup about it?

"Well, not bad for 3 ½ hours of work," Hiccup chuckled.

"Now we can party," Ruffnut grinned.

"Not quite yet," Sigmund interjected. "There's work to be done, Haddock,"

"Oh, come on! I just got back…" Hiccup grumbled.

"I meant for you to introduce everyone," Einar stated.

"Oh…Yeah, I guess I can do that," Hiccup shrugged.

"But…" Vidar interrupted.

"And here it comes; there's always a but," Hiccup sighed.

"There is still a big operation to take care of, Lieutenant Haddock. Time is of the essence," Einar reminded.

"I'm well aware," Hiccup nodded. "You held up your end by letting me come home; I'll do my part in protecting it,"

"We know, but you should always be informed here and now that you're in charge of this," Sigmund said.

"I, uh…I know; you assigned me this operation," Hiccup reminded.

"No, Lieutenant…" Askel stepped up now. "The General, Admiral, and Marshal are appointing you as leader of the entire operation involving the Archipelago Islands. You're the boss,"

Hiccup's eyes widened as he stood there, shocked and in disbelief of what he was told. "M-Me?"

"This is your movement, Lieutenant Haddock. All of this since it started in November when you returned here on our orders has been your movement on how to handle things. You made the call about stopping this war before it begins. You did the recons; you ran the missions, and you're the one who was willing to quit the army and come back here to defend your home from us if we endangered anyone," Einar said firmly. "Even by exercising your position as a Tribe Heir not to allow us to make any moves without running it by you first,"

"And everything we've planned; you shot down anyway because it was dangerous. You refuse to let us make the decision regarding your home, so it seems fitting that we admit we were wrong when you're the one risking your life to end things, and we hand the reigns of this operation over to you. Your decisions, your missions…" Vidar remarked.

"Your plans. Anything you need, we provide. Anything you order, we'll do," Sigmund finished.

"And all the islands will fight behind you, as stated before," Viggo nodded.

"Whatever you need," Stoick added sternly. "We all agreed on it before you arrived. You're willing to do whatever to protect us, even if it meant doing it alone. The least we can do is offer our loyalty and help in any way at all. We're under your leadership, son; all of us,"

"Oh…Come on…Don't put everything on me; I'm just one guy," Hiccup said, though a little choked up that they were doing this.

"We all have faith in you, Hiccup," Mari smiled.

"As Einar said, son…This is your movement. And I told you when you first came to us that I believed if anyone could change the world; it would be you. And I said that sometimes one person can make the difference with the biggest impact," Henrik added.

"We believe in you," Gobber said as Hiccup saw everyone else smiling and nodding. The feeling was overwhelming to Hiccup, having so many people look to him in this time of crisis and believe that he could lead them to victory.

"Then I promise to do whatever it takes to finish this," Hiccup said firmly to them. Hiccup knew that right now at this moment; he had everything he could ever want and need in life.


	59. This Is Where I Belong

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

This Is Where I Belong

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Saturday, 8/4/2018-5:45 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

It was emotional; I couldn't deny that. Everyone rallying together to support me, ready to fight at my side and under my leadership was more than I ever could have imagined from the Tribes. More shocking was hearing the head of headquarters put me in charge; I'm only about to be 23 in February 2019, and I didn't even think this was legal, but I guess it was allowed because they did it. The only thing I could do was promise to do my best and find a way to stop this war before it began. And if it did start; I would finish it somehow and someway. For now; I was just glad to be back among everyone again, and accepted too.

"Alright, let's get into the Great Hall," Stoick announced. "Hiccup, you can take care of introductions there,"

"Sure," I nodded. The mass group of us moved to the hall; I knew from the past it could hold about 500 people, and the Hooligan Tribe alone was about 200 people. I wasn't sure how many soldiers were present, but it seemed like they had their own area higher up where the kill ring was and in the woods to watch for attacks. The soldiers weren't just protecting either; there were others specifically for building, teaching, helping, and what not. As I walked to the Great Hall; I admired everything on Berk, it was a sight to see from 8 years ago. I loved it. I adored that the Vikings welcomed this into their lives and it seemed like they were enjoying the new age things.

Reaching the Great Hall; it was the Hooligan Tribe, the Chieftains; their spouses and offspring, and then those who had come with me from Denmark. The hall was decorated festively for my welcome home party, and I was overwhelmed that they put something together for my homecoming.

"Alright…How do you want to do this, Hiccup?" Askel asked. "I know there's quite a bit to get through," he added.

"Not when you know everyone despite the time away; I'm certain not much has changed," I replied calmly. "I'm only introducing Chieftains, and Heirs to those I've brought with me from Denmark," I stated.

"Whenever you're ready, Lieutenant," Colden invited.

"Might as well start with Berk," I mumbled. "This is the Isle of Berk, home of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. The current Chieftain in power is my father, Stoick; his 3 Heirs are Valda, Halvor, and myself. Going down the line…" I took a breath. "Chieftess Bertha and her daughter/Heiress, Camicazi of the Bog-Burglar Tribe on the Bog-Burglar Islands. Chief Mogadon and his son/Heir Thuggory from the Meathead Tribe on Meathead Island. Chief UG and his daughter/Heiress Tantrum of the Uglithugs on Uglithug Isle. Chief Eret the First and his Heir Eret the Second to the Dragon Trappers on Waterland Island. I believe they also call themselves the Wave Riders for their excellent sailing abilities," I paused a moment.

"Chief Norbert and his Heirs, Natalie and Syver of the Hysterics Tribe on Hysteria Island. Chieftess Magnilda, her husband Chief Reidar, and their Heir, Mikkel of the Bashem Oiks on Bashem. Chief Erland and Heiress Gala of the the Shiver Fish Tribe on the Isle of Shivering Shores. Chief Madguts and his son Soren of the Murderous Tribe on Murderous Island; he also has an Heiress, her name is Signy, and she is Madgut's niece. Chief Alvin of the Outcasts on Outcast Island; no Heir or Heiress. Chief Magnus and his Heir, Magnor of the Visithugs on Visithug Isle. Chief Jorund and his son Jarl of the Quiet Lifes on Quiet Island," I took another breath. I never realized how many islands there were until this despite actually knowing the number.

"Need a break, son?" Stoick chuckled.

"Nah, I'm good; it's just been a while," I admitted. "Next is Chief Oswald Bazirk and his two offspring; Heir Dagur and Heiress Heather of the Berserker Tribe on Berserker Island. Chief Gunner and his Heiresses, Ragna and Olga; then Heir Olvir of the Lava-Louts on Lava-Lout Island. Continuing down is Chief Cuyler and his 3 children; Heiress's Brenna and Sigrid, then Heir Aseir of the Peacekeeper Tribe on Peaceable Island. Lastly; there is Chief Viggo of the Dragon Hunter Tribe on Hunter Isle. Until recent discovery back in December of 2017; the only known Heiress was his niece, Vera; the daughter to Viggo's older brother Ryker. However, developments before Christmas/Snoggletog show that Brynjar Holt and Katja Oliversen are Viggo's children who were taken from the islands before they were born by their mothers, obviously, at different times given the age difference," I explained.

"Oh, that is interesting," Askel stated.

"Son, if I may?" Stoick stepped beside me. "There are two other islands in the Archipelago who have Viking Tribes. I will introduce them as you left before they were known,"

"Sure, go ahead while I get a drink," I invited getting a water bottle.

"Chieftess Mala, Chieftess Atali, if you wouldn't mind?" Stoick asked. Two women stepped up as I took a drink but paid attention. "Chieftess Mala is the leader to the Defenders of the Wing Tribe on Caldera Cay. And Chieftess Atali is the leader of the Wing Maiden Tribe on Wing Maiden Isle," he introduced.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Atali smiled. "I'm Atali Mayden,"

"And I am Mala DeFendor," Mala stated.

"And…Your Heirs or Heiress's?" Einar wondered.

"None," both females said together.

"That is quite a bit of people to remember, and a job well done knowing everyone despite being going 8 years, Lieutenant Haddock," Sigmund smiled.

"I have an exceptionally good memory. And just because I left doesn't mean I forgot where I came from…It's the Heir or Heiress's job to know who rules what island and who the next people in line to lead are. We learn this as early as 10," I remarked.

"Splendid!" Vidar informed. "Now, how about us to them?"

"Can ya gimme a minute to breathe?…I just went through 16 islands and tribe names, and 44 people in less than 5 minutes," I muttered. Vera giggled a little, holding my hand and laying her head on my shoulder. "You look exhausted," I mentioned now.

"Little bit. Over-excitement of you coming home today; I barely slept last night," Vera informed lightly.

I chuckled. "You won't be sleeping tonight either," I joked.

"HICCUP HORRENDOUS HADDOCK THE THIRD!" Vera screeched as she let got and socked me on the right side hard. Vera hit with enough force to knock me back and make me double over while holding where my ribs would be. I cringed and breathed hard.

"I was…Kidding…" I panted. "I meant I wanted to take you flying on Toothless and maybe watch a movie on the laptop…Damn, I think you cracked something that time…"

Vera quickly covered her mouth with concern. "Oh, Gods…I'm sorry…" she hurried next to me.

"Ow…" I winced when trying to stand straight again. "Okay…Okay, nothing cracked…Probably bruised…" I said once I was up.

"I'm so sorry…" Vera whimpered a bit.

"Don't worry about it; I'm built pretty tough, Ver. Army training, Viking…And as we've seen with you…Size has got nothing to do with it," I lifted her face to mine by her chin and kissed her lightly. Vera returned it and blushed heavily.

"Oh, believe me…Size has to do with it sometimes…" Vera grinned.

"Vera!" Hiccup said, shocked at he heard come out of his girlfriend's mouth.

"What, babe?" Vera shrugged. "I call it as I see it and there's a lot to see,"

"You're positively awful and a major pervert, you know that?…And I freakin' love it," I smiled finally.

"Alright, keep it clean you two," Ryker growled. Hertha smacked his arm and sighed.

"Believe me, Uncle Ryker; this _is_ them keeping it clean," Brynjar and Katja stated.

"Enough, brother; they are fine. It's harmless fun," Viggo chuckled. "But I do believe we should get on with things, Hiccup; it's getting later, and I'm sure we'd all like to start that party,"

"Very well, Chief Viggo," I nodded my head. "For all of your Chieftains and others listening in…These are friends, family, and coworkers that decided to join me on my venture in moving back home. I'll start with the family who not only took me in when I first arrived in Denmark 8 years ago, but they also adopted me as part of their small clan. I give you The Anderson Family," I motioned to the 6 people who were now on his left.

"My second father and first friend, Henrik, his wife and my second mother, Mari. Finally, their 4 children; Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen," I stood near each person I gave a name for. "Next is the Oliversens. Kelda is Katja's mother, and Brenden, her uncle. Katja is also mother to Dagny and Rowan Hiccup. Yes, Katja gave her son my name as a middle one; these two are my godchildren, and they see me as an uncle. Brynjar Holt-Grimborn is Katja's half-brother," I continued."Brynjar is also a Lieutenant in the Danish Army like myself; he's one rank above mine. Now…These 5 right here are my Unit or Team in the Army. Sigvard Rasmussen, Davyn Lund, Eirik Matheson, Jolgeir Tennfjord, and Oivind Flinvor," I smiled.

"Over here is Colden and Ander Konger; both brothers and in the army together. Colden is older and also the boss of Ander, Brynjar, and me in our army group. This here is Askel Olsen, boss of Colden. And finally…These 3 are heads of the entire Danish Military…Einar Bentsen, General of the Army. Vidar Isben, Admiral of the Navy. And Sigmund Nielsen, Marshal of the Air Force," I finished, finally. And not a minute too late as it was hitting 6 pm and Emma was starting to wake up in Mari's arms.

"Well, I think it's time we get this party started," Gobber chuckled.

"Who is this?" Bertha Boggs inquired as I brought Emma into my arms. I smiled lightly while Britta handed me a bottle and I faced everyone who was silent and anxiously awaiting to learn of the little girl in my arms.

"This is Emma Haddock…My daughter," I informed softly.

"Where's…Her mother?" Alvina Hofferson wondered. I tensed a little, debating what to say; I really didn't want to talk about truly happened.

"My…Ex-wife passed away giving birth," I stated as I saw the Heirs and those who knew the truth curious about why I said what I did. I shot them a look that said to shut up.

"And you're with Vera already?" Ryker arched a brow.

"Dad; it's not what you think…" Vera stated, understanding what Hiccup was trying to avoid talking about now.

"Ver…It's okay," I told her. "Emma isn't my real daughter; I adopted her from my ex-wife since she passed away and the father is locked up for a long time. My ex-wife was unfaithful to me while I was away on deployments; she got pregnant by another and we got divorced in March, or at least that's when it was finalized legally…But when this little girl was left with no one to take her in; I stepped up,"

"So if you ever become Chief; that child cannot be your successor since she's of no relation to you," Madguts stated.

"How observant you are," I huffed.

"Blood doesn't make you family, loyalty does," Stoick said firmly as I looked at him shocked. "Someone recently taught me that, and I have to say that I entirely agree. Family is not defined by who is related to who; it's the people in your life who want to be there and always accept and support you. She may not be his by blood, but she is part of this family. And I won't tolerate disrespect towards my son or my granddaughter; is that clear?" I could not believe what I just heard my father say. Had he really taken the words I said and used them against the other Chieftains?

"Yes, Chief Stoick…" people replied and nodded.

"Ryker, leave them alone. Sometimes you have no say in who you fall in love with; it doesn't matter how they got together because they are happy. And butt out of Hiccup's personal life," Hertha Grimborn remarked firmly.

"Go ahead and start the party, Dad; I'm just gonna take Emma to change and feed her," I said.

"Sure, son," Stoick nodded as I headed out of the Great Hall and Vera followed right behind. Once we were past the doors, I kissed her cheek while walking to my dad's house to change Emma.

"I'm sure that wasn't easy to tell everyone," Vera said gently.

"No, but it was better than lying," I shrugged.

"True. I'm sorry about my father; he can be a bit-," Vera began.

"Overprotective, I know; it's okay," I chuckled a little. "You're his little girl; I would expect nothing less from a father to be that way given I'll probably be the same way with Emma as she gets older and into the boy-liking phase. I'll probably be worse because I know how it goes as a man myself," I smiled while going up the stairs and into Emma's room.

"Well, if you think this is bad; wait until he finds out we're having sex," Vera informed.

"They don't know?" I blinked.

"I don't assume so; I never said anything," Vera smiled.

"Let's just try to keep that under wraps for now. Despite the knowledge of how things are done in the modern age now; I am betting a lot of the Vikings still believe in the ways we grew up on," I looked at her after finishing the diaper change and laying Emma in my arms to start feeding her the bottle.

"Agreed," Vera nodded. "Happy to be back?"

"It's…Indescribable, Vera. I held so much disdain for this place 8 years ago. I said I'd never come back because I'd never be accepted for who I was," I began to tell her. "I thought leaving the Archipelago would give me a chance to explore, figure out who I really am. But…Even with leaving…I never changed myself; I just learned to stand on my own no matter what anyone thought about me. I gained strength, knowledge, friends, family…Confidence to be me. But above all else…I realized that Denmark was just another place in the world; it wasn't home. Maybe that's why I always thought about here, wondered if everyone was okay. And when the threat of war rose and the risk of the Archipelago becoming another war zone like the ones I've been to in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan…I don't know, something just hit me," I looked down at Emma now.

"What made you forget about the past and return?" Vera inquired.

"I-I don't know. When all this started; I detested the entire thing. I only wanted it over so I could get back to my life. But…The more time I spent around everyone, seeing how carefree and happy everyone was. How accepting and willing they were to learn from me. I guess I felt important…And needed for once. I began to like the feeling; then I…bonded with Valda and Halvor, I fell in love with you…Everything just changed. At first; I was just doing my duty as a soldier, but over time; it became personal to me," I confessed.

"What do you mean?" Vera questioned.

"I realized that despite all the pain I felt; I wouldn't have been where I was then if not for the Vikings. Yeah, they made me feel low…But if they hadn't, would I ever have gone into the forest and met Toothless?" I looked at her. "It was meeting Toothless that saved me from killing myself 8 years ago, but would I have met him if the Vikings hadn't pushed me to want to give up? When the threat of war came up and learning the Archipelago could become a war zone…Something just snapped inside of me, Vera. The feeling got stronger and stronger every time I heard about deploying troops to fight, plans to counter-attack…Gods; it bothered me to no end because I've seen what it's like to be in a war zone, babe," I looked down a little.

"Soldiers and civilians getting hurt and killed, and for what? Innocent people caught up in a war between two sides because someone doesn't like how some people live their lives. It's over the stupidest things, but it creates the biggest string of hate and fighting…Women, children…Young boys shipped off to fight at such young ages, forced into war when most of them just want it to end. I've seen kids younger than me on the enemy side be killed, Vera, and some by my own weapon because I had no choice but to defend myself. I've watched my friends charge into battle and not come out alive. Hell, some were never even found. I've watched friends gets shot, killed, had them die in my arms…I've had to leave some behind…It's the worst feeling in the world, and most of those deaths still haunt me…" I continued to tell her as she put her hand on my arm.

"Knowing all that from previous deployments; I felt compelled to do something more than just defend, babe. I started feeling it in February after you reminded me that I'm still a Viking. The drive to protect after that situation in the barrack during drill; it just took over me like I never anticipated it would. I'm a Viking; I'm from the Archipelago. I never hated anyone, just how I was treated. And I knew despite everything; they didn't deserve to get thrust into war. We kept to ourselves; we never bothered anyone. It just started becoming more personal to me, and I had to do something more than just be a soldier. And when HQ start spewing plans that could put everyone here in danger that I was trying to stop from happening; something snapped inside. I'm A Viking, and I'm an Heir to the Hooligan Tribe; I had to take a stand," I informed.

Vera stared at me. "I claimed up and down that the Vikings would never need me, but when their lives and homes were at stake; who was there to stand up for them? All of you are civilians, and it's a soldiers job to protect their home. But the Archipelago is my home; it's not just part of Denmark. What kind of man was I if I didn't defend my home when I was needed? Nobody else saw what I did, and nobody was thinking about all the outcomes of a half-assed plan going wrong…The other soldiers do their duty and as their told; they just think it's another deployment, but that isn't what it was to me. I just…Had to do it, Ver. Even with all this, I'm telling you; it just comes down to having to do it,"

"No one needs a reason, Hiccup. And personally; I think you did it because you wanted to. You're not a grudge-holding type of guy, you told us this. This situation with the Archipelago facing war is personal to you; this is your home, and you are a Viking like us. It's not just the Tribes under threat; it's you too. You took a stand for one and all; you refused to sit back and let someone else make the decisions regarding your home and people. You acted like a Chief, and you're following in your ancestor's footsteps of wanting to stop an all-out war and bring peace; it's in your blood, Hiccup, just like Hiccup the First. You did this because you wanted to, babe. You said it yourself that it's time you started being who you are, a Viking and it was time to take your rightful place among us. You've always belonged here, Hiccup. And what you're doing…I think that's very brave, courageous, and honorable," Vera smiled. "And I find it incredibly attractive,"

I leaned over and kissed her deeply. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Vera replied.

My girlfriend was entirely right. I did all this because I wanted to, and I didn't need to explain myself to anyone. I didn't need a reason; this was the right thing to do. And I know now and forever more that this is where I belong.


	60. Always Works Out

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Always Works Out

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Thursday, 8/9/2018-10:15 am]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

The party had been a blast to attend; Hiccup and Vera stayed up and enjoyed everything right up until 11:45 pm. Things shut down, and people returned to their homes or the hotel to get some sleep. Hiccup and Vera stayed up until after Emma's final feeding; then the two of them enjoyed a little foreplay until 2 am before decided that they needed to go to bed as well. Hiccup might be home now, but he still had a lot of work to do in efforts to stop the impending battle. Moreso now that Hiccup was placed in charge of everything by military headquarters. Viggo, Ryker, Hertha, Kelda, Brenden, Brynjar, Katja, Dagny, Rowan, and Ander left for Hunter Isle around 9 am the next morning. Hiccup said he would bring Vera home in a week.

So far, it's been 6 days. Thankfully, Hiccup had been given a week to adjust to things of being back in the Archipelago. Hiccup took time walking through the village and flying over it to see where everything was and all the new changes. Hiccup was beyond excited at how everything looked, and everything he saw had been developed. There were small shops, stables, even a mini-hospital. A new building next to Gothi's served as a doctor office with 2-3 doctors able to assist so Gothi wasn't overloaded. No, Hiccup loved everything and was happy to be home among all this moderness.

Vera and Hiccup spent every day together doing different things; Hiccup showed her around Berk as she'd never really seen much of it. The two would have meals together, go for walks, watch movies, and more. The more was them making love; it happened on the 6th and again last night on the 8th because it was their 4-month anniversary of dating. Hiccup was super happy that there were a regular cell phone and internet tower in the center of town, plus there was wind and solar/lunar power for electricity. All the islands had this; I guess it was one of the first things done to get communications up and running; then everything else came. Hiccup did give Vera a gift on the 5th; a cell phone so they could talk and text when she wasn't on Berk or him on Hunter Isle.

Hiccup spent a good portion of Sunday teaching Vera how to use the device, and Hiccup programmed Katja, Kelda, Brynjar, and Brenden, Henrik, Mari, Britta, Lilly, and Lukas's phone numbers in along with his own. By the afternoon time, Hiccup learned that Kelda got gotten Viggo a phone to use, so Hiccup took care of programming Viggo's number into his and Vera's phones. It seemed people getting phones was becoming a normal thing because Ryker and Hertha were next on the 7th to text Vera and ask if she was having a good time on Berk with Hiccup. Also, Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout got phones; they were older models, like flip phones from a 2-3 years ago, but hey, everyone had to start somewhere just as Hiccup did 8 years ago.

If Hiccup wasn't mistaken; the Chieftains and their oldest Heirs or Heiresses had phones too, even his own father. By the 8th, Hiccup was getting messages from all over, but he just kept the messages of saying who it was from and he'd program it later since he spent the 8th with Vera. Emma was with the Andersons for that day. Today was Vera's last day on Berk, for now. Tomorrow, Hiccup had to take her back to Hunter Isle, and he had to start working on his orders to capture Drago Bludvist; it had been part of the deal in the army stationing him back home for good. Hiccup was still shocked that everyone was looking to him on handling things; he really hadn't expected that, but he would do his best.

"What should we do today, babe?" Vera asked.

"Whatever you want, Milady," Hiccup smiled.

"Can…You teach me how to fly Moodscale?" Vera wondered curiously.

"Well, you haven't finished classifications yet or training…I can't be unfair to the others," Hiccup said softly.

"It's okay; I understand," Vera replied. "When are we picking all that up again?"

"Not sure; I've got bigger things to handle with the operation," Hiccup informed.

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting about all that," Vera nodded. "Well, how about we pack up Emma and some picnic stuff; we can spend the day in the cove?" Hiccup blinked a little. How did Vera know about the cove? It was actually one of the only places Hiccup hadn't taken her to see during the tour of Berk. "You mentioned on one of our dates that the cove is a beautiful area where you met Toothless; thought it might be a good picnic spot for us where we wouldn't get bothered,"

On that logic, Hiccup couldn't exactly argue. "Sounds like a great idea to me," Hiccup responded, and that was one of his favorite places on Berk too; it was where he met Toothless. Without wasting any time; Hiccup and Vera went to Stoick's house to make sandwiches, prepare Emma's diaper bag, and then they were headed for the cove through the forest with their dragons.

 **. . .**

 _ **[10:35 am]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago; The Cove]_

Reaching the cove 20 minutes later as it was just near Raven Point, which only sat 15 minutes from the village; Hiccup stood at the entrance and stared.

"Hiccup, are you okay?" Vera inquired gently.

"Yeah, I just…The last time I was here; I was leaving Berk…" Hiccup trailed off a little. "This isn't just where I met Toothless, Ver; it's where I came when I was gonna kill myself. It's the last place I was before I ran away 8 years ago…"

"We don't have to stay if it's painful memories for you," Vera offered.

"No, I'll be okay. Just one of those things that hits you after so long," Hiccup admitted. The two strolled in as Hiccup was carrying Emma's infant car seat. After getting inside; Hiccup set Emma in a shady place while he and Vera set down the blanket and sat down to relax a little as it was still a bit early for lunch and Emma had already been fed around 8:45 am. "This is nice…"

"I agree," Vera smiled. "It's a lovely place, Hiccup,"

"I thought so," Hiccup replied. "I brought the tablet, want to watch a movie?"

"Sure!" Vera beamed. Hiccup dug it out of his bag and set it up on the stand, then brought up Netflix while scrolling for something they could watch for an hour or so. "Oh, that looks good," she pointed to something Hiccup went over.

"Speed Racer?" Hiccup asked. "I actually have not seen it myself but heard it was an awesome movie. So yeah, let's go with it," he tapped the movie and gave it a minute to load. After it started; Hiccup and Vera laid against their dragons and cuddled up to enjoy the video.

 **. . .**

 _ **[12:15 pm]**_

Emma began to wake up as Hiccup stood and Vera paused the movie. "Time for her feeding," he smiled. "We'll finish the movie after this, and we eat lunch,"

"I'll get it ready," Vera stated as Hiccup took care of Emma's diaper change, then preparing the bottle. Hiccup sat back to relax while feeding his daughter while Vera pulled out the drinks and food for herself and Hiccup. Emma's feeding was all taken care of by 12:40 pm, so Hiccup set her back in the carrier while he returned to Vera's side.

"Let's eat," Hiccup told her. Vera went to take a bite of her 6-inch grinder but stopped as she felt a little queasy. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm okay," Vera smiled as she started eating, and so did Hiccup. By 1 pm, they finished their food and were preparing to lay down to finish the movie as it still had another good half hour to go before it was over. However, as Vera went to lay against Hiccup; she felt nauseated. Vera tried to ignore it but wasn't able to when she felt the vomit rising up her throat.

"Ver?" Hiccup asked. Vera quickly covered her mouth and hurried behind a large rock where she threw up. Hiccup got to his feet as he heard Vera puke a second time and he moved towards the rock. "Babe? Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know where it came from," Vera said; then she threw up again.

"Maybe we should go back to the village, and you can rest a little?" Hiccup suggested. Vera only nodded, feeling awful. Hiccup left her to recover some as he began packing things up. At 1:20 pm; they were heading back into the village.

 **. . .**

 _ **[2 pm]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago; Village-Stoick's House]_

It took a little longer because Vera threw up two more times, but they reached Stoick's house, and Vera went to lay down in Hiccup's bed.

"You're back early, son," Stoick mentioned.

"Vera got sick, so we came back," Hiccup informed.

"Poor lass," Gobber mentioned as he was sitting with Stoick and the Andersons in the living room.

"What's causing it?" Mari wondered.

"No clue, happened out of nowhere, Mom. Perhaps something with the food as we'd just eaten before it happened," Hiccup shrugged.

"How did she get sick? Just saying she wasn't feeling well?" Henrik inquired.

"No, she threw up 3 times before I said let's come back to rest. Then on the way, she puked again twice," Hiccup stated. Upstairs, Vera couldn't sleep at all and still felt nauseated; she had no idea what was up with her. However, Vera felt that if she was sick; she should go back to Hunter Isle to avoid getting Hiccup and his family ill. Vera forced herself out of bed and gathered her few things into her side bag; then she made her way downstairs while Hiccup was sitting with the others.

"Vera, sweetheart? How do you feel?" Mari asked.

"No better…Hiccup, can you take me back to Hunter Isle?...I don't want to risk getting you or anyone else sick…" Vera questioned.

"Sure, babe. You up for the fly on Toothless? Hiccup questioned. Vera nodded softly. "Alright. Toothless! Come on, bud," he called for his Night Fury. "I'll be back. You got Em?"

"She's good, son," Stoick nodded to him. Hiccup brought Vera outside with Toothless; then both got on his back as Toothless darted into the sky, heading North for Hunter Isle.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Friday, 8/10/2018-2:30 pm]  
**_ _[Hunter Isle, Archipelago; Ryker & Hertha's Home]_

It was on and off, but Vera remained sick. Some moments were great, and others; she didn't want to move. Currently, Katja was over to take care of her since everyone else was busy. Rowan and Dagny were in daycare, Ander and Brynjar were on Berk with Hiccup to figure out mission stuff. Viggo was running the village with Ryker's help. Brenden and Kelda were with Hertha; learning more about the layout of the village.

"So, no idea what's making you sick, huh?" Katja asked her younger cousin.

"No…I'll go see the healer in a few days, though, if it doesn't stop," Vera mumbled tiredly, yet; she couldn't sleep.

"Well, maybe we can narrow it down. What symptoms are you having?" Katja wondered.

"Nausea, vomiting at random; certain smell from food bring it on. Uh, fatigue, mild cramping, tender breasts…" Vera listed. Katja sat back now, thinking a bit.

"No fever, coughing; stuff like that?" Katja questioned.

"No," Vera shook her head.

"When did it start?" Katja inquired.

"Yesterday around 1 pm after Hiccup and I had lunch," Vera said.

"And it hasn't happened any other time?" Katja stared, still running through the options.

"Well, I was feeling a little nauseated on the flight back to the Archipelago in July, I think that was the 22nd," Vera informed.

"And that was it? Nothing else?" Katja looked at her cousin.

"Not really; a few instances, but they didn't last more than 10-15 minutes," Vera shrugged.

"Out of curiosity to narrow down options…When was your last period?" Katja asked. Vera thought for a moment and then realized that she hadn't gotten her period yet. And come to think more about it; she didn't recall getting it in July. "Ver…" Katja pushed. "When was your last period?"

Vera bit her bottom lip. "I-It was J-June 24th,"

"You didn't get your period in July, at all? Are you sure?" Katja questioned quickly.

"N-No; I-I thought I did on the 21st because I felt cramping and saw blood in my underwear," Vera began to panic a little.

"Was it a period or were you spotting?" Katja urged.

"Sp-Spotting…But I thought it meant my period was starting. I-I never paid attention because we were getting ready to come here, and then I was all excited for Hiccup to be coming back…I-I never realized it until now," Vera felt tears forming.

"Did you and Hiccup have sex at all in July?" Katja leaned forward now.

"Yeah, like 3 times between the 8th and the 21st…" Vera replied. "The 8th was our first…"

"Oh, Odin almighty, Vera…I-I think you might be pregnant…" Katja said softly as Vera froze. "And there's only one way to find out…Stay here," Katja hurried out of the house and to the general store, picking up a home pregnancy test for Vera; then quickly getting back to her uncle's house all within 10 minutes thanks to Silverthorn. "Here…Go to the bathroom and take this," Katja handed her the box.

"Wh-What do I have to do? I've never used this before…" Vera asked.

"Just pull the test out of the box, take the cover off the end, and pee on this little white part. Put the cover back on, and set it aside. It's a pregnancy test, Vera; we have to know…And if this timeline fits and you are pregnant; you're almost 2 months along…" Katja said. Vera was scared and nervous, but Katja was right; she needed to know. Vera entered the bathroom just down the hall and did as Katja instructed. After Vera cleaned up and flushed before opening the door and walking out. "Where's the test?"

"O-On the counter…" Vera pointed. "I-I'm too nervous to look," Katja went in and looked at the test; it was still processing. "Gods…What am I gonna do? Mom and dad will kill me; they don't even know Hiccup, and I have sex…"

"They won't kill you…" Katja sighed. "Look, take it easy, cuz…It happens all the time, most of the time; it is a complete accident. Me getting pregnant with Dagny and Rowan were both unplanned instances…You just gotta relax, and we'll figure things out if you are," she assured as Vera nodded, trying to calm down. What would she do if she is pregnant with Hiccup's baby? What would Hiccup do? Hiccup already had a lot going on; this would only add more stress to him, or would Hiccup be happy? He's raved about wanting to be a dad since Vera met him and learned Olivia was pregnant before the truth came out.

"Ha-Has it been enough time yet?" Vera asked. Katja peeked back at the test, sure enough; the result was reading positive. "A-Am I?"

"You are," Katja stated, showing Vera the test screen. "You need to tell Hiccup, Vera…"

"I-I know…I just…Need a little time to sit with this," Vera struggled to find her bed and sit down.

"Vera, you're almost 2 months along…" Katja reminded. "Likely…You're going on 7 weeks. 8 weeks makes it 2 months…So…if the timeline fits…You'll be 7 weeks tomorrow on the 11th and 8 weeks on the 18th," Katja informed softly.

"I-I know…Just give me a couple days, Kat…" Vera sighed, closing her eyes and trying to relax. Gods, how was she going to do this? Vera had no idea what to do or where to even start.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Monday, 8/13/2018-11:45 am]**_

It had been 3 days since Vera learned she was pregnant, and almost 8 weeks in. Remembering what Katja told her on counting the weeks with a calendar; Vera was able to keep track of where she was. Katja marked the start of each new week in the pregnancy on the calendar in Vera's room with a red marker. So on Vera's calculations; today she was 7 weeks and 2 days along. Vera hadn't said anything to anyone, Katja was the only person to know about the baby Vera carried within her womb, and Vera made Katja swear not to say anything. However, Vera knew that Hiccup needed to know; she just didn't know how to tell him that the first time they ever had sex, she conceived a child.

"Vera? Is everything okay sweetheart?" Hertha Grimborn, Vera's mother, asked.

"Yeah…Just thinking," Vera replied.

"You seem to be _thinking_ an awful lot the last few days. Is something bothering you?" Hertha inquired.

"Not bothering; a little lost on what to do…" Vera said.

"Did you and Hiccup have a fight that's making you question the relationship?" Hertha wondered.

"No…No. Nothing like that…" Vera put her head down. Hertha moved next to her daughter now and gave a light hug.

"You know you can tell me anything," Hertha reminded. Vera closed her eyes.

"Mom…I-I'm pregnant," Vera confessed as Hertha was taken slightly aback, but remained calm. "It's…Hiccup's," she added.

"You're certain you are pregnant, Vera?" Hertha asked.

Vera nodded to her. "Hiccup and I made love for the first time in July on our 3-month anniversary; we did use protection…B-But I guess it failed. I didn't even realize I missed my period until Katja and I were talking on Friday about what could be making me sick…Katja had me take a home pregnancy test, and it was positive," she admitted. "A-Are you mad at me?"

"Well, I'm not thrilled, Vera. You're only 18, 4 months from turning 19 and pregnant with Hiccup's baby. Technically; you're carrying the next Berk Heir or Heiress. Your father and I taught you better-," Hertha saw Vera's head fall lower as she was trying to hide her tears and keep from crying. "But I know that relationships and intimacy are different than what we were raised on…" Hertha took a breath. "And that an unmarried couple making love is not…Uncommon when they are dating," she added.

"Is dad gonna kill Hiccup?" Vera questioned.

"It won't be a pretty encounter, but no, your father won't kill Hiccup, Vera. Speaking of…Does Hiccup know about this?" Hertha wondered.

Vera shook her head. "That's what I don't know how to do, Mom…" she sighed. "I don't know how to tell Hiccup that I'm pregnant with his baby,"

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Ryker Grimborm hollered loudly as the two women looked over to see Ryker standing at the door, entirely shocked and angry.

"Ryker…" Hertha tried firmly.

"Don't you _Ryker_ me, Hertha. He got my little girl pregnant!" Ryker yelled.

"Daddy, it was an accident!" Vera said quickly.

"You're just 18; he shouldn't have been having sex with you! I'm going to kill him for talking you into it and getting pregnant!" Ryker prepared to leave as Hertha stood up and closed the door to keep him from leaving.

"You will do no such thing, Ryker Grimborn!" Hertha put her foot down. "Now, I know it's not an ideal situation, but our daughter is a smart girl, and she wouldn't have just let Hiccup have sex with her…" she added.

"Hiccup didn't do anything that I didn't want him to do…" Vera confessed. "A-And I wanted him first; we would have done it in June, b-but Hiccup wasn't ready to intimate again after what happened with his ex-wife. In July after a party; he told me he wanted me, and we just did it…And we used protection, but I still got pregnant…I'm sorry; I know I disappointed you, but I love Hiccup…And he's an amazing father to Emma; I know he will be to this child too,"

Ryker was still pissed, but he at least unclenched his fists and took a breath. "You will do nothing to Hiccup, Ryker. Is that clear?"

"Oh, we're still gonna have a little chat…" Ryker grumbled.

"And Vera…You need to tell Hiccup. You're nearly 2 months along, aren't you? Hiccup needs to know you're carrying his child," Hertha informed her daughter.

"But mom…He's so busy with everything…" Vera looked down.

"It's not negotiable, Vera Grimborn. If Hiccup is the type of man you describe; he will find ways to do his duty and be there for you and the baby," Ryker scoffed. "If not, I will hurt him,"

"Daddy, cut it out," Vera sighed. "I'll tell him…" she agreed.

"Good girl," Hertha said. "We'll get you a doctor to make sure everything is alright with the baby, and start you on those prenatal vitamins. You call or text Hiccup, tell him you two need to talk. He'll come, and everything will work out; it always does," she stated. Vera nodded. Now Vera just had to decide when she would tell him; she knew it needed to be soon.


	61. You Couldn't Be

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

You Couldn't Be

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Tuesday, 8/21/2018-11 am]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

Hiccup never wanted to be a high-ranking officer again; he would be entirely content going back to Sergeant when this was over. Hiccup had never been in so many meetings, part of so many discussions in his life, and he hated every second of it. However, one thing he was happy about was that he did call the shots. Those present for meetings could offer ideas and plans, but Hiccup was the one to approve or deny them. Hiccup hadn't seen Vera face to face since the 9th when he took her back to Hunter Isle because she was sick, and he hadn't heard much about all that either. Honestly, he was a bit concerned because it happened out of nowhere. Hiccup planned to go check on her, but it had to wait until after this mission he was going to be taking with Brynjar, Ander, and Strike Unit. Hiccup decided that since the objective was just to gather information and observe; his team could come with him. So there were now 8 members to Strike Unit, and Hiccup was the leader.

Askel, Colden, Einar, Vidar, and Sigmund would be on Berk to mark down updates and places on maps that Hiccup reported in.

"You ready for this?" Brynjar asked.

"It's only recon, no big deal," Hiccup shrugged. "Just stick to the plan,"

"Where are we going again? Isn't the base West of here?" Davyn inquired.

"Yes, but I need to know how many bases they have, and what their weaponry is like, the average number of soldiers and dragons," Hiccup muttered quietly since the Vikings didn't know about Red Death or the dragon army Drago was building. "…I told you, a lot goes into stopping this war,"

"We understand," Jolgeir nodded.

"We're running recons in every direction," Oivind stated.

"And if things go bad?" Hiccup pushed.

"We know…" Sigvard sighed.

"If anything happens, we bounce," Eirik nodded.

"No, you abort immediately and scatter. You will call in your locations; then regroup once everyone checks in. You will not wait for me," Hiccup reminded firmly.

"We got it, Hic," Ander said.

"Good," Hiccup replied as he checked his watch. "Let's get going so we can make base camp somewhere in the middle of all the places we're investigating. Wings up, boys!" he called. Hiccup got on Toothless as Brynjar, Davyn, Jolgeir, Eirik, and Sigvard mounted their dragons. Ander rode with Brynjar on Snowstrike, and Oivind was with Davyn. "Move out!" Hiccup motioned with his hand towards the East.

45 minutes later, Katja and Vera flew into Berk on Silverthorn, landing closest to Stoick. "Hello, girls. What can I do for you?" Stoick asked.

"We're looking for Hiccup," Katja smiled.

"I'm afraid you just missed him by an hour," Colden informed. "Hiccup left with Strike Unit for a recon,"

"D-Do you know how long he'll be gone?" Vera wondered.

"I don't assume more than 3-5 days; Hiccup doesn't like to be away from Emma too long," Askel interjected. Vera sighed heavily.

"Something wrong, Vera?" Stoick inquired.

"I just…I need to talk to him about something, Chief Stoick," Vera admitted.

"You can call me Stoick, lass," Stoick smiled. "And Hiccup will be home in a few days. You're welcome to stay and wait for him, so you don't have to make the trip again. I do recall Hiccup saying the flight to Hunter Isle is about 3-4 hours depending on the dragon you ride. For Hiccup it's probably 2 ½," the man chuckled.

"Thank you, Stoick. Ver, are you good to stay here? I gotta get back to Hunter Isle for Dagny and Rowan," Katja asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. I packed clothes for a few days," Vera nodded as she got off carefully.

"Text me how it goes," Katja said. "Silverthorn, home," she stated. The Razorwhip bounded off in the Northern direction.

"Do you want to stay in the hotel or at my house? I'm sure Hiccup wouldn't mind you using his room," Stoick smiled lightly.

"Your house, please?" Vera replied.

"Come, I'll walk you there, and Moodscale can rest in the stables," Stoick guided her towards his house. Vera could only think about the fact she's known about this since the 10th, it's now the 21st; she's 8 weeks and 3 days along. By the time Hiccup got back, she'd be hitting 9 weeks. Vera felt bad; she never should have waited to speak up, and she really hoped Hiccup wouldn't be too upset with her.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Thursday, 8/23/2018-4:30 pm]**_

It was early afternoon when the peacefulness of Berk was disturbed by 5 dragon riding soldiers bolted in and landed quickly.

"Colden!" Ander yelled.

"Jesus, Ander…What is going on?" Colden asked quickly after his younger brother yelled for him.

"Where is Lieutenant Haddock?" Askel inquired next.

Brynjar coughed a few times as Stoick, Gobber, Vera, and the Andersons hurried out of Stoick's house to where the Tribe began to gather. "Ca-Captured…" Brynjar managed.

Everyone froze.

"What?" Einar inquired.

"Where and when?" Sigmund pushed.

"How?" Vidar continued.

"Shut up," Stoick demanded. "Brynjar…Where is my son?"

"These enemies can fly dragons; they tried to attack us…Hiccup drew their fire and ordered for us to scatter and get back to base. The last we saw around Wrecker's Reef; Hiccup and Toothless got separated, and Hiccup captured. We don't know what happened to Toothless; they shot an arrow at him, and he just hit the ground unconscious," Ander informed.

"Arrows…?" Vera thought about that for a second and gasped. "Dragon Root arrows! There's a mixture on the ends that render dragons to calm down and sedate them! The effects make them weak; there is an antidote…But I don't know if Hiccup knows it. Toothless won't be able to do much of anything, and these people will likely keep using it so Toothless doesn't attack," she explained.

"Where did you last see them?" Askel asked.

"They were headed towards Drenchwood Forest; we think there might be a base there, but Hiccup told us to get clear," Oivind said.

"What do we do? Hiccup's form of escape is always using Toothless and if Toothless is out…" Sigvard paused.

"For now, we will wait," Einar stated.

"I refuse to accept that answer," Stoick glared. "The more you wait, the faster they could hurt or kill him,"

"Stoick…Stoick," Henrik offered. "Hiccup is a trained soldier to handle these situations; you need to have faith in him and give it a little time,"

"3 days, if there is no contact made or update in the situation; you will go find my son and rescue him as it's your fault he's there in the first place. I am not losing my boy again," Stoick ordered before stalking off angrily.

"What are his chances, boys?" Colden asked the Strike Unit.

"Hard to say, Henrik," Brynjar sighed.

"If Toothless is out of commissions, not that great," Davyn remarked.

"And there were at least 10 against one; they were flying dragons…And had modern weapons. Hiccup was right; these people are wicked dangerous and rushing into a battle like this would have been bad for soldiers and civilians. I'm ridiculously grateful he wouldn't allow you to go through with any of your plans…" Jolgeir said now. Vera was more worried than ever now; this couldn't have happened at a worse time. Getting captured was never good, but while she's pregnant? Now Vera feared to raise the baby alone; this made her upset and start crying a little.

"Ver…It'll be okay. Hiccup's a tough guy; he'll figure something out, or we'll go save him in a couple of days," Brynjar tried to assure her.

"I-It's not that, Brynjar…I'm scared because my boyfriend and father of my baby is captured by dangerous enemies, and I can't do this by myself…" Vera whimpered.

"Boyfriend and what the hell did you just say?" Brynjar asked instantly.

"I'm pregnant…And Hiccup doesn't know yet; I came to tell him 2 days ago, but you'd already left," Vera said now.

"How far along are you?" Sigvard pushed now.

"A-Almost 9 weeks…" Vera replied.

"That means you got pregnant in July when you two had sex for the first time…Who else knows about this?" Brynjar inquired now.

"Kat, Dad, Mom, Uncle Viggo, you guys now…" Vera responded. Brynjar sighed and hugged her.

"Look, Hiccup is a talented, skilled man and soldier; I'm sure he'll find a solution to break out and leave semi-safely with Toothless. And you need to tell him as soon as he's back, Vera," Brynjar stated. Vera nodded, knowing he was right. Vera never should have waited this long in the first place; she knew almost 3 weeks ago. Now, there was nothing more to do than hope Hiccup returned quickly.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Sunday, 8/26/2018-5 am]  
**_ _[Drenchwood Forest, Archipelago; Enemy Base]_

 _How could I have been so stupid?_ That was the one question Hiccup kept asking himself after what happened on Thursday at 12:30 pm when they were attacked by enemy forces who not only rode dragons but possessed modern weapons. When Hiccup saw his team in trouble; he drew enemy fire to him and told the others to leave and not worry about him. Now, Hiccup had been locked up in an enemy prison since about 1 pm on the 23rd. Hiccup needed a plan to break himself and Toothless out. The problem was that whatever arrow Toothless got hit with made him weak, sick, and hardly able to move. The two of them were across from one another in the cells; Hiccup hated seeing Toothless in this state.

Toothless groaned weakly as Hiccup quickly looked over. "I know, bud…I know; just hang on…I'll get us out of here…I promise," Hiccup said. Enemy guards came in as Hiccup glared as they came to get him, probably for another beating. It happened when he arrived; Hiccup was tied with rope, chains, and arms handcuffed behind his back and had the crap kicked out of him in the form of punches and kicks. Hiccup refused to speak the entire time until he lost consciousness.

"You're not going anywhere except your grave," spoke the guard.

"Oh, is it comfortable?" Hiccup sassed earning him a right hook to the side of the face. Toothless tried to stand and growl. His spines split apart and took on the blue glow, suddenly; there was an explosion of blue and smoke. The guards got shoved and slightly disorientated. Hiccup coughed a bit and saw that Toothless blew a hole in his cell. "Toothless, go!" Hiccup commanded. The Night Fury warbled at him softly and worried. "Go, get out of here. I'll be okay…Find help, bud," Toothless pressed his snout against Hiccup's palm, crooning sadly. "Go…" Toothless licked his face and darted out of the hole with a roar.

Hiccup didn't know how Toothless got back his fight, but the assumption was that Toothless powered up enough to burn whatever was making him sick out of his system. Hiccup could now only hope that Toothless reached Berk and brought reinforcements with him.

 **. . .**

A couple of hours later at 10:15 am, Hiccup was lying weakly in the cell when he saw a masked figure skulking around and looking closely. The guards got knocked out as Toothless rushed forward.

"To-Toothless…" Hiccup whispered. The figure snapped the lock with a dagger and opened the door as Toothless hurried in and licked Hiccup's face. "Happy…t-to see you too…" Hiccup tried to smile.

"Hi-Hiccup?" the figure asked in a bit of shock. Hiccup looked at the person weak and tiredly. Toothless gave a small roar to snap the person from their stunned state. "Come; we must leave quickly," the masked figure informed while picking the locks to release the chains on his leg and wrists.

"Wh-Who are you?" Hiccup asked.

"Someone on your side that you can trust," the person stated. Hiccup forced himself up and got onto Toothless, ignoring the pain in his body.

"Toothless…Go," Hiccup demanded. The figure raced down the hall to the exit and Hiccup saw a Stormcutter waiting. The person jumped on the dragon's back as Toothless followed and the dragons led us Northeast.

 **. . .**

 _ **[1:35 pm]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago]_

"I think we should go look for him," Ander stated. It caused a stir among the Tribes, and they came out to Berk to figure out what was going on. Vera was an emotional mess being comforted by her Hertha and Katja.

"We can help search; we know the islands," Alvin offered.

"No. No civilian help; we have our own way of doing things," Einar said firmly.

"And we Vikings have our own way!" Stoick glared.

"Send us back out," Sigvard stood up. "We're his team!"

"We can't risk any more captures," Vidar informed. All of this was happening outside as the headquarters leaders were trying to select the best course of action.

"Then we've condemned him to death," Oivind snapped.

"You won't even let us try!" Davyn huffed.

"You don't have Haddock's level of training!" Sigmund retorted.

"It's a search and rescue mission; we know how to do those!" Brynjar argued.

"Not at this level," Askel sighed.

"Level shouldn't matter! Hiccup has been captive for 3 goddamn days! Odin only knows how badly he could be injured, or if he's even still alive!" Jolgeir remarked.

"Enough, all of you!" Einar yelled. No sooner than he did it; Lightheart zoomed in, and her ears were twitching around. Lightheart roared out loudly, though; it seemed like a whine. Seconds later; another roar was heard as Toothless zipped in and landed.

"Toothless!" Vera said quickly as she hurried to the Furies. "Where's Hiccup? Why would Toothless come back without Hiccup!?" she demanded. Toothless nuzzled Vera's face then warbled and turned his head back to the sky as everyone could see another dragon flying in with a rider on it's back.

"That's a Stormcutter dragon," Colden informed. The 4-winged dragon landed as the armored, masked figure jumped down in a crouch as the dragon carefully lowered the upper set of wings as Toothless went over and carefully dragged Hiccup off and onto the ground.

"HICCUP!" many shouted to find Hiccup unmoving.

Mari was first to reach Hiccup and check over him nervously. "He's alive, just unconscious…And very beat up," she informed softly as Henrik tried to soothe his wife. "Look what those awful people did to him…" she whimpered a little.

"Nothing broken or sprained?" Askel asked.

"I don't think so; it looks like a lot of bruising, small cuts, scapes. The marks on his wrists are from being bound behind his back with handcuffs, and these appear to be from a tight rope around his upper body," Henrik examined more closely.

"Who are you?" Colden turned his attention to the figure, and the person did not answer. "I asked you a quest-," the sound of groaning was heard. Eyes fell on Hiccup's figure as he slowly began to wake up.

"Son?" Stoick inquired gently.

"Hiccup?" Vera stared, holding his hand and stroking the top of it.

"V-Vera?" Hiccup opened his eyes and locked onto his girlfriend.

"Oh, thank Odin!" Vera sobbed, hugging Hiccup tightly.

"Ow…" Hiccup winced as Vera pulled back.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Vera panicked.

"I-I'll live…Don't worry," Hiccup forced himself to sit up more, holding his midsection and taking a few deep breaths.

"What happened, Lieutenant?" Einar asked.

"General Bentsen, give him a little time, would you? And we don't reveal mission details out in the open…" Askel reminded.

"Can you stand, Hiccup?" Brynjar asked.

"Yeah, I-I think so. Gimme a hand up?" Hiccup asked. Brynjar offered his hand as Sigvard got behind and helped the rest of the way. Hiccup took a few deep breaths as he found his balance then looked at the mysterious rider before him. "Who are you?"

"I told you; I am someone you can trust…" the figure stated softly.

"You told me at the prison hold that you were on my side, and that I could trust you. Prove it; tell me who you are," Hiccup demanded.

"Was me saving you from capture not enough to prove myself an ally?" the figure inquired.

"I sent Toothless to get help; I didn't care who it was. Toothless found you and brought you to me, so technically…He saved me," Hiccup stated. "And he likely could have gotten me out himself if he'd been unable to seek nearby help. I ask again…Who are you?" he demanded.

"It is best if you don't know and we leave things as they have been," the figure remarked gently. "I must be going now. Cloud Jumper," it said as the Stormcutter lowered to let the person get on. Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"Restrain him or her," Hiccup ordered. Davyn and Eirik moved in and held the figure by the arms while Ander stayed behind. The Stormcutter began to get riled up as Hiccup snapped his fingers; Toothless growled as the Stormcutter slightly backed down. Toothless stomped his foot as the Stormcutter sat back and lowered its head.

"How did you-?" the figure asked.

"I'm the lead dragon trainer for Denmark, the Archipelago, and Greenland; it's a simple task when your dragon acts like an Alpha. Now, I'm the one asking the questions, and you refuse to answer the one I'm asking. I thank you for breaking me out, but I still need to know who you are because I was passed out and you knew to bring me back to Berk," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"Y-Your dragon flew in this direction; I just assumed this is where you were from…" the figure moved their head off to the side.

"You're lying. You knew my name when you found me locked up, and you sounded surprised to see me. So don't lie to me. You obviously know who I am…You said I could trust you, so don't betray my trust. I will ask once more, and if you refuse to answer; then I'll have you locked up until you do talk. Who are you?" Hiccup pushed.

The figure sighed, slumping their shoulders. "It's been 22 years since I've last seen you, Hiccup. You've grown so much…"

Hiccup wasn't expecting such an answer. "Do you know me?" Hiccup asked.

"Very well," the figure nodded. "I didn't believe it was possible I'd ever see you again,"

"I don't know who you are," Hiccup stated.

"I wouldn't expect you to; you were only a babe," the figure informed as Hiccup flinched a little. The figure got their arms free from Davyn and Eirik as they reached up and pulled off the mask revealing a woman in her early 40's. "But a mother never forgets," she finished. Hiccup's eyes widened as he gasped and stepped back.

 _No…No, she couldn't be my-_ Hiccup thought in shock.

"V-Val…ka?" came Stoick's equally astonished voice. The entire area fell to a dead silence after this woman, named as Valka by Stoick, revealed that she was Hiccup's mother.


	62. Ready For Anything

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Ready For Anything

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 8/26/2018-1:50 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

Hiccup didn't know what to say or do after the information was revealed that the woman standing not more than 2 feet away was his mother, and sadly; it couldn't be questioned as Stoick had done it for Hiccup by calling out his mother's name. Valka. His mother was everything his father had described in Denmark; long autumn-colored hair going down her back in three separate braids, gentle blue-green eyes, lean figure, light-colored skin, but not pale. Aside from Hiccup and Stoick being entirely shocked, so were the Chieftains, Heirs or Heiress's, and members of the Hooligan Tribe.

The only sound that did get heard was Stoick's sword dropping at the sight of his long-lost wife whom he believed had been dead for 22 years. Stoick quickly removed his helmet and let it fall from his hands as well, trying to compose himself. Askel and Colden motioned for the Strike Unit to back up from the woman.

"I know what you're gonna say, Stoick. How could I have done this? Stayed away after all these years, and why didn't I come back to you? To our son? Well," Valka began as Stoick was slowly walking towards her, not saying a word. "What sign did I have that you could change? That anyone on Berk could? I pleaded so many times to stop the fighting and find another answer, but did any of you listen?" Valka asked.

"This is why I never married…" Gobber stated. "This and one other reason?" he added as Hiccup shot him an unamused glare.

"I know that I left you to raise Hiccup alone," Valka backed up a little as Stoick neared her. Valka ended up cornered against a tall post. "But I thought he'd be better off without me. And I was wrong; I see that now but…" she couldn't move as she became nervous. "Oh, stop being so stoic, Stoick! Go on; shout, scream…Say something!" Valka demanded of him. Stoick only touched the right side of her face with his hand as she gasped and looked at him with tears brimming her eyes.

"You're as beautiful as the day I lost you…" Stoick said softly as Valka stared in shock and disbelief of the words. Stoick leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Stoick smiled at her as Hiccup was dumbfounded that his father wasn't furious with his mother about straight up disappearing for 22 years and letting everyone believe she was dead! No, he wouldn't be as nice about it and decided to say something now.

"Um…WHAT?!" Hiccup exploded with confusion as Stoick and Valka looked at him quickly. "Now, hang on! Wait just a minute…You can't just be all cryptic, take off your mask and say something like that. You're my _mother_?! I mean-What the-Do you even grasp how insane that sounds?! They said you were dead! Everyone thought you were eaten by dragons!"

"N-Now, Hiccup…I know you're probably upset, b-but…" Valka began nervously.

"Probably? You think I'm _probably_ upset? The mother I believed was dead for 22 years is the woman who just yanked me out of an enemy prison, refused to answer me for 10 minutes on who she is, and then you just announce that you're my mother?!" Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "And what? You expect me to be happy, excited, overly emotional?"

"Hiccup, easy…It's shocking to everyone," Stoick tried.

"You stay out of this!" Hiccup yelled as Stoick tensed a bit. Nobody liked when Hiccup got mad, and it was worse if he was also upset and confused. Hiccup was Stoick's son, and Stoick had a temper, which Hiccup's rage could rival and then some.

"I-It's okay, Stoick…" Valka told Stoick now as he moved aside and behind her. "Hiccup…You don't understand what happened that night…Please, let me explain?"

"Oh, believe me; you will tell me exactly what happened and merited you staying away for 22 years, letting us believe you were dead," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"Berk was a land of kill or be killed, but I believed peace was possible. It was a very unpopular opinion. One night, a dragon broke into our house; finding you in the cradle. I rushed to protect you, but what I saw was proof of everything I believed. This wasn't a vicious beast, but an intelligent, gentle creature who soul reflected my own. Your father burst in and scared Cloud Jumper," Valka motioned to the Stormcutter behind her. "Cloud Jumper set the house on fire, and I begged him to stop; he faced me as your father went to get you. Cloud Jumper grabbed me and flew off into the night with the other dragons from the raid," she closed her eyes and looked away. "You and your father nearly died that night, all because I couldn't kill a dragon,"

Hiccup's look softened a little. "Runs in the family," he muttered. "Neither could I," he motioned to Toothless who sat beside him loyally.

Valka looked at him. "Cloud Jumper never meant to harm me; he just thought I believed among other dragons in the home of the great Bewilderbeast. The Alpha species…Every nest has its queen, but Bewilderbeast is the king of all dragons; he built the sanctuary where I've been for the past 22 years, and I've been rescuing dragons from the tyranny of Vikings who only desire to hurt and kill them…" she continued. "My nest is…13 hours Northeast of here; I've…Never been too far,"

"You said you haven't seen me in 22 years, so how was it you knew my name and who I was at the prison hold?" Hiccup inquired now. "I mean…I'm not even dressed like a Viking, so how did you just know?"

"A mother never forgets her child no matter how the years pass, Hiccup. Auburn hair, green eyes like your father, my nose…And the scar on the right side of your chin. Cloud Jumper accidentally cut you with his claw when the cradle rocked the night I was taken," Valka explained.

"Alright, yeah; that makes sense…But why stay away?" Hiccup questioned. "How in the name of Odin did you possibly assume it would be better if you didn't come back to your husband and infant son?! You let us believe you dead! You're spouting off that you always believed in peace, and saw it…Why didn't you return to show everyone!? Gods, things could have changed years ago if you came back alive and showed everyone the truth about dragons!"

"I said why…I didn't have a sign that anyone could change, Hiccup…" Valka repeated.

"So you don't even bother? You just thought it would be better to stay _dead_?" Hiccup glared. "I mean, I guess I have no room to talk; I found a wounded Night Fury and refused to kill him because when I looked at Toothless…I saw myself. Wounded, weak, defenseless…I spared him, and he let me live in return. Toothless became my best friend…And when he healed; I left Berk with him…I left the Archipelago for 8 years until this war shit started and I realized that no matter what I couldn't abandon my home…So I came back; I chose to come back despite how terribly I was treated. And these people…Gods; they drove me so low that I wanted to end my own life when I was 14…But that's when I met Toothless…And here I am now, literally risking my life to keep them safe…Because I chose to," Hiccup clenched his fists at his sides.

"Despite how things were in the past; I came back because I decided to. Because it was the right thing to do. And you being taken is why everyone turned on me because they knew I was different like you, Even dad believed that I'd meet the same fate as you, so he pushed me away because he didn't want to relive the pain of losing someone else he cares about…But I fought for my place in the world, and I fought for acceptance. I showed everyone what I can do, and made them realize that I've always been capable if they hadn't been so judgemental due to what happened to you. But if you had come back…Things would have been different. However, that's not the case, is it? You chose to stay away because you didn't think they could change, but you didn't even try…" Hiccup continued as he backed up a few steps.

"You chose to abandon your husband and son, make us think you were dead while you really traveled the world as a secret, feral, vigilante dragon lady. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad you're alive…But does it erase the 22 years you chose to pretend we didn't exist?" Hiccup asked as Valka lowered her head.

"No…" Valka replied. "I-I understand, Hiccup," Valka said. "I believed you'd be better off without me because you'd end up like your father; a great dragon killer…You're right; I shouldn't have abandoned you based on an assumption. I should have come back, and proven dragons weren't what everyone thought by showing I was still alive…That's why I said that I see I was wrong. I never forgot about you or your father," Hiccup stared now. "It broke my heart to stay away; I just believed you be safer if I did,"

Hiccup closed his eyes, sighing, and looking off to the side now as everyone remained silent and waiting to see what Hiccup would do. "Gods…I have so much to deal with right now; I can't even begin to process this…" he finally said. Toothless warbled at him, nudging Hiccup's arm and motioning to the sky with a gummy smile. "I-I need to think for a bit," he jumped on Toothless's back, ignoring the mass amounts of pain his body was in. "Go, Toothless…" the Night Fury launched into the sky, and then Lightheart followed behind.

"He hates me, doesn't he?" Valka asked.

"Hiccup isn't one to hate, Valka…Believe me; he forgave the rest of the Vikings and me not too long ago. Hiccup just needs a little time," Stoick offered.

"True…" Valka sighed.

"He'll be back in a bit," Gobber added. Vera mumbled a little; she needed to talk to Hiccup about the baby. Of course, right now was probably the worst time given everything that just happened. Brynjar nudged her a bit.

"Go after him; I think he could use a little comfort, and good news right now," Brynjar smiled.

"But I…I'm not allowed to fly," Vera said.

"Don't worry; he won't get mad. Just have Moodscale follow Toothless," Katja informed. Vera nodded as she whistled for her dragon.

"Moodscale!" Vera called; the Hobbegrunt rushed over as Vera carefully climbed on her back and tied a rope to hang on too. "Follow Toothless and Lightheart," the dragon purred a little and headed in the direction of the cove; Vera knew that's exactly where Hiccup would go right now.

"Where's she goin'?" Stoick asked.

"After Hiccup," Ander chuckled. "Don't worry; she'll change his whole mood right around,"

"I feel compelled to ask what this is all about?" Valka looked at her husband.

"Vera is the daughter to second in command of the Dragon Hunter Tribe, Ryker Grimborn…And she is Hiccup's girlfriend of 4 months," Gobber enlightened.

"There's a lot I've missed, isn't there?" Valka blinked.

"Yes, we'll fill you in while Vera calms Hiccup down," Stoick assured. "Everyone else in the Hooligan Tribe…Disperse until dinner," he called.

 **. . .**

 _ **[2:30 pm]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago; The Cove]_

Hiccup sat on the ground against Toothless, Lightheart was on Toothless's other side. Hiccup was just trying to relax and think about everything when he heard a dragon land close by; Hiccup looked to see Moodscale and Vera getting off her back and coming towards him.

"What are you doing? You're not author-," Hiccup began, but Vera just wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. "-ized to fly yet," he finished his sentence slowly and calmly when Vera pulled back.

"Are you okay?" Vera inquired gently. "You can yell at me later for flying, Brynjar told me to do it…But even if he hadn't; I was still coming after you to make sure you were alright,"

"I really don't even know right now, Ver…" Hiccup sighed a bit as Vera moved to sit beside him. "It's a lot to take in…"

"I can imagine," Vera nodded. "Will you forgive her?"

"Probably. I'm not someone who holds grudges," Hiccup said now. "Even during the 8 years I was gone from the Archipelago; I don't think I held resentment towards the people here; just hated what they did to me, but I forgave them after some time away,"

"One of the many admiral qualities about you that I love," Vera smiled some. "Seems like coming back here has actually offered you more to be happy and thankful for despite how it was revealed,"

"Yeah…Everything happens for a reason. At least that's what Henrik told me when you had all left Denmark before I did," Hiccup shrugged. "There's just so much going on; the war stuff, my mother is alive…I could use a couple of days break to get my head in order.

"Are you hurt from being captive?" Vera wondered.

"Just sore, the scrapes and bruising will fade in a week or so," Hiccup replied.

"I was worried about you…I actually came to Berk before the Chieftains did to talk to you, but I'd missed you by an hour on the 21st," Vera confessed.

"You came to talk to me? About what? Everything alright?" Hiccup asked softly now.

"You already have so much on your plate, and I feel awful about throwing this on it too, but mine can't wait more than it already has…" Vera looked down a bit.

"Vera…Just tell me," Hiccup said.

Vera looked right at him. "Hiccup, I'm pregnant,"

The words stonewalled Hiccup like a bullet in the chest, leaving him speechless, breathless, in utter shock and trying to process what just happened. Hiccup stared at his girlfriend of 4 months, eyes widening and still unable to find words to speak. Vera was pregnant?

"I found out on the 10th after realizing I missed my July period," Vera held her knees against her chest. "Katja was sitting with me at my parents' house…We were trying to figure out why I got sick at random. I was nauseous, throwing up, my breasts were tender, and a little swollen, the smell of certain foods made me sick, I was tired a lot…I didn't even consider having missed a period because the time I was due for it…We were leaving to come here, and I had spotted a lot; it didn't occur to me that I never got my period until Katja said something…" she continued as Hiccup only listened.

"I took a home test, and it came back positive. Everyone in my family knows because my dad heard me talking to mom about it; he told Uncle Viggo, Kelda, Brenden…I told Brynjar on the 23rd when they came back and said you were captured. So…Here we are," Vera looked at Hiccup again.

"Yo-You're…Pr-Pregnant?" Hiccup finally questioned. Vera nodded to confirm. "H-How…Far?"

"Um…9 weeks and 1 day today," Vera informed.

"Why…Didn't you tell me right away? Hiccup inquired.

"I was nervous, and scared, trying to process things…I just…Couldn't believe that I got pregnant the first time we made love…I took some time to get my head together to come to tell you. I didn't want to scare you with a text or call…So I came in person to Berk on the 21st, but you had just left 45 minutes before…And then all this happened with your mom and stuff…" Vera admitted. "Are you upset with me?"

"No…No; I'm not…Just…Well, trying to process it myself now. You're…Really pregnant with our child?" Hiccup stared at her.

"I am. I've also already been to see the doctor, and taking prenatals…" Vera replied.

"S-So in 3 weeks…You're gonna be 3 months pregnant…Wow, talk about bombshell news…" Hiccup took a breath, looking out around the cove now. Vera wasn't sure what to make of Hiccup's reaction; she knew he'd be shocked as she was, but hadn't he wanted a baby? Vera looked down, feeling terrible that she sprung this on him. Hiccup looked at her now, seeing the saddened expression on her face. "Hey? What's wrong? You don't seem happy about all this,"

"I-I feel like you aren't happy about it…" Vera said. Hiccup held her hands in his, then lifted her face so their eyes would meet; she saw the smile on his lips.

"Ver…I'm fucking ecstatic," Hiccup confessed as Vera's eyes widened a little.

"Y-You are?" Vera asked.

"Of course! Ver, you know how much I wanted to have a baby of my own. I know I have Emma, and Odin knows how much I love that little girl, but this…It just has a whole new feeling to it because I know I helped make this baby, and that it happened the first time we ever made love? It's like fate if you ask me…I'm over the moon about this news," Hiccup informed quickly.

"I'm happy to hear that, Hiccup, and I'm thrilled about this too. I just thought you were upset since you were so quiet after I told you…" Vera said gently.

"That's just because I do have a shit ton going on already with missions, possible threat of war, my mother being back…Now you being pregnant. But I am happy, babe. And I'll find a way to make things work, so I can be here for you and our child, I promise. I'm sorry I'm not jumping for joy and what not; I fear actually injuring myself more if I do. No, Ver…I'm ridiculously excited about this…I can't wait!" Hiccup expressed with a broad smile before pulling Vera in and hugging her tightly; then kissing her deeply. Vera returned it as they snuggled close together.

"Should we…Go back and tell everyone?" Vera questioned.

"Do you want to?" Hiccup inquired.

"Probably should; I won't be able to hide in a month or two," Vera reminded.

"True. Alright, yeah; let's go back and tell everyone the good news…Or do you wanna wait until dinner tonight when everyone will be rounded up in one place?" Hiccup wondered. "We can…Spend time here, talk more about plans for all this since you know people will ask,"

"I like your idea better," Vera giggled. "So…We're doing this? We're…Really gonna be parents in about 6 months. Man, that is a lot to take in,"

"Yeah, but we'll be alright; it'll work out, and we'll have each other," Hiccup avowed. They shared another kiss and hugged again. "Let's start figuring things out," he offered. Vera nodded as they began to talk more. For Hiccup; he really was overly excited about this, becoming a father again and having this child with the woman he was madly in love with. There was nothing better in his eyes, and he now had more of a drive to stop this war so there could be peace to welcome his new child into. Hiccup knew he had a lot going on, but he'd be fine and ready for anything else as long as he had Vera, friends, and family at his side.


	63. All Is Well

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

 **(Author's Note;** _Just so everyone is aware, and if they were curious...There is a link on the author's page at the bottom that will allow you to see my Google Pictures. There is an OC album of all the characters I tend to use in my stories if you're like to see them. Now, this link is spaced out because Fanfiction doesn't allow links to be posted. So, if you take the spaced out link and put it in your address bar; then MAKE SURE you remove all the spaces before pressing enter, it should take you to the page. Anyway, just wanted everyone to know. Thank you, and enjoy chapter 63! -Nightstar Fury_ **.)**

All Is Well

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 8/26/2018-4:45 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

I couldn't deny that the events of today were nuts. I had been captive for 3 days, a masked figure saved me and was revealed hours later as my mother who I believed to be dead for the last 22 years, and then maybe the biggest news I got was that my girlfriend of 4 months is pregnant with our child. I was entirely shocked, and it made the other two things seem substantially smaller in comparison on my _what the fuck_ meter. This wasn't to say I was mad or upset at Vera; I knew what having sex could do, so the fact she's pregnant isn't all that shocking. I suppose it just took me by surprise that she ended up with a child the first time we ever made love in July on our 3 month anniversary. The news did stun me, and if I wasn't in so much pain from the beatings I took while captured; I would have been jumping around, lifting Vera, and showing just how excited I really was that she's pregnant with our first child together.

I do have Emma, even though she isn't my biological child; I love her as if she was. And for a few weeks before the truth of Olivia's unfaithfulness came out; I did believe Emma was mine anyway. Adoption or not, Emma is as much mine as the baby Vera is carrying is; I will love both children equally. Legality-wise, though; the new baby would be the next Heir or Heiress to the throne of Berk. Unfortunately, Emma being my adopted daughter did not entitle her to the rights of being an Heiress, that was the only difference between the two children I would have. Vera and I spent a few hours in the cove; talking about how we'd handle everything. I'd like to think we got it taken care of, so we'll see what happens. All I knew is that I was extremely happy about this, and I couldn't wait for March 30th when our child was due.

"So, should we head back? It's about dinner time?" Vera asked me.

"Yeah, let's do that. Oh, and while I'm not thrilled you flew Moodscale with no training…I'm not gonna harp on you because technically I did the same with Toothless 8 years ago. Also, you did remarkably well," I smiled. "But don't do it again…Especially while you're pregnant,"

Vera nodded, understanding. "I won't; I just had to make sure you were okay after everything before," Vera said. "Does this mean you'll teach me?"

"After the baby is born," I promised. "But for the next 6 months; I'll finish everything else. We'll go over Strike Class, and I'll begin showing you how to train your dragon,"

"Yay!" Vera clapped happily. "Now, let's get back…I'm starving," she added. I climbed on Toothless's back; then had Vera come up behind me and hold on.

"Toothless, Lightheart, Moodscale; return home," I said. The 3 dragons took to the sky, and we headed back for the village, which on dragons, it wouldn't take more than 5 minutes to reach.

 **. . .**

 _ **[4:50 pm]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago; Great Hall]_

I didn't see any Archipelago residents outside when Vera and I arrived; I assumed everyone was in the Great Hall for supper. Toothless landed as I sent him, Lightheart, and Moodscale to go relax. I held Vera's hand, kissing the back of it lightly.

"Ready for this?" I asked her.

"As ready as I can be," Vera replied. I pushed the door to the Great Hall open and walked in as Vera was at my side. Instantly; the room seemed to fall quiet as I quickly took in what I was dealing with. As expected; the Hooligan Tribe was present for supper. On top of them, the Chieftains, their Heirs or Heiress's; then my adoptive family, friends, and military HQ. Yeah, this was going to be interesting. First order of business, though, was to tell my mother that I forgave her.

I don't like that she abandoned my father and me, and I feel that maybe things would have been different for me growing up if she'd been around. But I had no room to talk in believing that the Vikings would never change because I too saw the truth, and took my way out. So how can I stay mad at my mother? Honestly, the entire situation just proved to me that she and I are exactly alike; as my father had said we were. However, something caught my eye before I started. My mother and father didn't seem to notice that I'd come back.

"Remember our song, Val?" Stoick asked gently. I respectfully stepped back, knowing what was about to happen. _"I'll swim and sail on savage seas with never a fear of drowning. And gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me,"_ Valka seemed to take a shaky breath as Stoick lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. _"No scorching sun nor freezing cold will stop-,"_

" _Stop me on my journey!"_ Gobber sang out as I shot him a silent glare that asked; _What are you doing?! Shut up!_ Stoick glared too as he focused on his my mother again.

" _If you will promise me your heart, and love-,"_ Stoick seemed to stop and look down.

" _And love me for eternity…"_ Valka began as my eyes widened a little while my mom moved away from Stoick and he followed her smiling. The Hooligan Tribe began to disperse a little, giving the Chief and Valka an open area to move in. _"My dearest one, my darling dear; your mighty words astound me. But I've no need of mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me,"_ Valka smiled as she raised her arm, fist up and Stoick copied as the two wrists connected.

I saw people from Denmark not understand what was happening. The song well well-known, but no one had ever really seen it performed this way before.

" _But I will bring you rings of gold and even sing you poetry. And I will keep you from all harm if you will stay beside me,"_ Stoick continued as the two were dancing around together.

" _I have no use for rings of gold. I care not for your poetry; I only want your hand to hold,"_ Valka danced with him; I loved seeing it. I'd heard many stories about this song and what it meant to my father, and I could see how overjoyed he was to know she was alive and here with him now. I could see that their love for one another never died. I couldn't help but smile as Vera leaned her head on my shoulder.

" _I only want you near me,"_ Stoick sang.

" _To love. To kiss. To sweetly hold for the dancing and the dreaming. Through all life's sorrows and delights; I'll keep your love inside me. I'll swim and sail on savage seas with never a fear of drowning, and I'll gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me!"_ Stoick lifted Valka into the air by her hips and twirled her around once as they laughed and smiled before hugging.

"I thought I'd have to die before we had that dance again," Stoick confessed.

"No need for drastic measures," Valka replied softly.

"For you, my dear," Stoick lowered to one knee, holding her hand. "Anything," Valka gasped a little. "Will you come home, Val? Will you be my wife once again?" Stoick asked softly as Valka's eyes widened a little. "We can be a family! What do you say?"

Valka smiled, laughing a little. "Yes," she replied as Gobber put his arms over both of them.

I decided I should make myself known to them. Vera squeezed my hand a little and smiled as I knew she was silently telling me to approach my mom. I walked forward as my parents saw me and became a little nervous; Stoick stepped in front.

"Son-," Stoick began, but I put my hand up, and he stopped.

"Step aside, Dad," I commanded with my eyes closed and motioned my hand for him to move over. I realize this was shocking to any onlookers; Stoick was Chief of the Tribe, and nobody told him what to do. Not even me as his son; Stoick was always given the utmost respect from the Hooligans. There was a moment where everyone held their breath, but Stoick bowed his head and stepped to the side, then back a few steps as I laid eyes on my mother who looked ashamed and nervous of what I'd say to her. Finally, she took a breath.

"Go on, Hiccup; I can take whatever you have to say," Valka invited, preparing herself. However, just like with my father back in July at the Summer Celebration; I stood before my mom and hugged her tightly. I felt my mother flinch before she raised her arms and returned the action fully with a hand on my back, and the other on the back of my head as she squeezed harder before separating.

"All I was going to say was that I'm sorry, Mom," I stated as a few people gasped and I saw her eyes widen in surprise.

"No…No, Hiccup; I'm the one who is sorry and asking forgiveness. I know I can't make up for the 22 years I wasn't around for you, but I never forgot about my baby boy. I was wrong to not return; I know everything that's happened, you father filled me in after you left. All this time, you took after me. And where was I?" Valka had her hand on my cheek, looking down sadly. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup…" she stared at me again. "C-Can we start over? Will you give me another chance?"

I smiled at her. "Only if you can forgive me for everything before," I informed. "I shouldn't have yelled at you when I did the same thing in leaving and originally saying I would never come back. You didn't believe anyone would listen to you, and no one ever did listen to me until November of last year; this was after I'd been gone for 8 years. Our situations in leaving were different; you didn't discover the truth until after you were taken. I straight up befriended a Night Fury and knew we'd both get put to death for treason, so I chose to leave. The bottom line is that we both saw the truth and made the decisions, at the time, that were the best. It seems, though, fate has a funny way of telling us where we belong. Thank you for saving me from being a captive…And I really am glad you're alive…And here. I want you to stay,"

"I do too," Stoick interjected as he came up behind and put his hands on our shoulders.

"Please, Mom?" I asked.

"This is where I belong, and here I'll stay," Valka said softly. Gobber came up and hugged the 3 of us.

"Great! I'll do the cooking!" Gobber announced. I remembered from past stories by Gobber and my father that my mother could not cook. How she survived all these years on her own with dragons is a mystery to me.

"C-Can I bring my dragons here?" Valka asked softly.

"I don't see why not; Hiccup's been teaching us about them," Stoick replied. "And on that note…Since you're back, son…Can you, uh, maybe get this dragon to stop following me around or tell me why?" he motioned to a Rumblehorn that was laying down next to Stoick's Chief chair. I inspected the dragon carefully.

"Full-grown, adult male Rumblehorn, Tracker Class…When did he start following you around?" I asked.

"Little after you left; he saved me from getting run over with a runaway cart. Was very affectionate," Stoick explained.

I laughed a little. "Well, Dad…Seems to me that this dragon has chosen you to bond with," I stated.

"I don't have to do that thing Vera did with Moodscale?" Stoick blinked.

"Bonding can happen in any form, Dad. This Rumblehorn has chosen you, so why don't you give him a name?" I suggested.

"Seems to be a protector, like me," Stoick thought now.

"Hardheaded and stubborn too, Chief," Gobber snickered.

Stoick glared. "Hardheaded ya say? Skull crushing is more like it…Hey, that's what we'll call you," Stoick said as the Rumblehorn got up and stared at him. "Skullcrusher," the dragon licked nuzzled against him.

"I think he likes it," Valka smiled.

"Welcome to the bonded group, Chief Stoick," Vera congratulated.

"Thank you, Vera," Stoick replied. "Oh…That reminds me. Son, we need to talk," he added.

"By your sudden tone, this sounds like anything good…Alright, let's get it out of the way then. What did I do now?" I asked. Stoick smiled as he put his hand on my shoulder.

"You're all grown up, and I couldn't be prouder," Stoick began.

"I…Don't like where this is going…" I admitted.

"And since no Chief could ask for a better successor," Stoick continued. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. "I've decided to make you Chief," Stoick finally said with a broad smile as everyone gasped and smiled. My eyes widened as I took a step back from him.

"M-Me? D-Dad…I-I can't. I have way too much going on right now to take on that responsibility. I-I'm already in charge of this entire operation with the war…And other stuff just came to light,"

"It's time, Hiccup," Stoick said firmly.

"I've never had any formal training to become Chief, Dad…" I tried.

"And normally that would prevent something like this from happening," Spitelout interjected now. "But the Berk Council and other Chieftains have decided that you're an exception because of all you're doing to protect us,"

"You're standing not just for the Hooligan Tribe, but the others as well," Mulch, another member of the Berk Council, spoke up.

"Your army training and position of being a leader to the platoon, and your team has more than proven you have what it takes to lead and protect our people Hiccup," Gobber added.

I still stood there, not sure what I could say. My father stood in front of me; his hands on my shoulders as my eyes met his.

"You put the needs of others above your own. You're willing to lay down your life for your home, to keep them safe. You fight with everything you have. And you don't let personal feelings cloud your judgment, or stop you from doing what is right. And you already know how to lead to victory. With you and your mother home now, son; I want to retire so I can focus on being just a husband and father,"

"B-But Dad…" I started.

"You were willing to quit the army and fight anyone who endangered us, son. A Chief protects their own. You said it yourself, Hiccup; that it was time for you to take your rightful place among your people, and I agree with you," Stoick informed.

"D-Dad…I didn't mean to take my place as the Chief…Just as a Viking and part of the Tribe…" I mentioned.

"What difference does it make, Hiccup? You're the firstborn Heir to the Hairy Hooligans; this is your birthright. And if you had stayed 8 years ago; I would have started your training at 18 or 19; then made you Chief by 20 or 21 anyway. You're almost 23, son; it's time for you to lead our people into the future," Stoick reminded as I sighed heavily.

"Do it, Hiccup," Valda and Halvor smiled wide. "Be Chief,"

"Yeah, you won't be alone," Britta said now standing with the Andersons, who nodded in agreement with her statement.

"We're all here for you," Sigvard stated as he stood with Davyn, Ander, Colden, Oivind, Jolgeir, and Eirik.

"And we know you can do it," Astrid offered as she stood with Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

"We all do, son," Stoick mentioned. "Will you do it?"

This was not how I planned tonight going, and I knew that my father would try to make me Chief at some point. I called it on the plane ride into Berk a few weeks ago, but I really didn't think it would be _this_ soon. Dad knew I had a lot going on…And yet, he still believed I could handle it. Everyone seemed to think I could, so could I? I felt someone hold my hand as I glanced over to my left and saw Vera staring up at me with a smile.

"I believe in you, Hiccup," Vera said. "And hey…This kind'a works out given the _other_ thing we talked about earlier, don't you think?" she hinted.

"What's she talking about?" Stoick asked. "What are you two hiding?" he demanded.

I smiled and laughed a bit. Yeah, this was gonna be fine. "Tell ya in a sec. For this whole thing first…" I paused and took a breath. "I'll do it; I'll become Chief of Berk and the Tribe,"

"You will!?" everyone yelled.

"But…" I trailed off.

"Oh, boy…" Stoick sighed. "Alright, name your stipulation,"

"You give me 3 months until the ceremony," I informed.

"Why?" Valka inquired.

"Aside from the obvious still trying to stop a war? I need my own house to live in with my family," I responded.

"It's just you and Emma; I don't mind you staying at the house, son," Stoick remarked.

"It's not just me and Emma, Dad…At least not anymore," I said quietly. Again, the room fell silent, and I felt the stares of curiosity on me.

"What are you talking about, Hiccup?" Stoick asked sternly.

"It's Emma, me, Vera…And the new baby who will be here in 31 weeks…" I stated. I heard gasps and saw mouths drop open at the information.

"Come again, laddie?" Gobber blinked.

"Vera's pregnant," I clarified the previous statement. "She found out on the 10th, and things have been so crazy that we had trouble meeting up for her to tell me. I actually just learned myself a couple of hours ago, but either way…Yeah, Ver's pregnant with our child, and…She's gonna be moving here Berk so we can raise the baby together,"

"It makes more sense for me to move since Hiccup is firstborn Heir to the Hooligans. And Uncle Viggo has Brynjar and Katja now as his next in line. I was only named Heiress because I'm Uncle Viggo's niece, and we didn't know he had children out there, and also didn't think he'd ever settle down after losing Kelda, or so I heard…" Vera shrugged a little.

"If…Hiccup is becoming Chief, and you two have a child, who is the blood offspring of Hiccup and would be the next legal Heir or Heiress on the way…Doesn't this mean you'll be his Chieftess?" Snotlout decided to ask.

"At some point, yes. With everything going on; we've decided to hold it off until, at least, this war situation is under control. Besides, if memory serves on tribal traditions and laws; the new Chieftain is permitted to either marry within 2 months before or up until 2 months after becoming a Tribe leader to take a spouse and provide his or her successor to the throne within 6 months from the day after the ceremony of the new Chieftain. Mind you, as a pregnancy takes 9 months, the requirement is just to have a pregnant spouse confirmed by the elder of the Tribe," I informed calmly.

Stoick and several other Chieftains put their fingers up to cut in. "And I'm well aware of the ridiculous tradition where the Chieftain and his new wife or husband is supposed to consummate their marriage publically to ensure the legitimacy of the child conceived belongs to the Chief or Chieftess…However, as times have changed and DNA tests exist…I don't think we need to do a public consummation when the wedding finally comes around. The only reason you'd do it now is just that you're a bunch of perverts who want to watch two people have sex. That being said, with the DNA test aside…We all know that Vera and I are in love, and Vera is already pregnant with the next Berk Heir or Heiress; I think we can afford to bypass that law that says we have to marry now," I added with my arms over my chest.

Nobody said anything. "Can you agree to my terms, Dad?" I asked, looking at him now.

"And here I thought you weren't paying attention all those times I explained how things worked…" Stoick blinked a few times, then chuckled.

"I wasn't," I confessed. "Gobber told me since you kind of always put me with him. And during raids, which you wouldn't let me take part in; I was studying the laws and traditions book at the house," I shrugged. "I'll become Chief, but you give me 3 months to get myself settled with my family and handle my duty to handle this war situation; I still have missions to run…and you make me Chief now…I won't be able to leave to finish my operation, and I refuse to just hand the reigns of the Tribe over to a second in command. If I'm running the Tribe; then I will run it,"

"Spoken like a true, Chief, son. I accept your terms, but…I expect you to use your downtime to think about your second in command and council members. Those are to be revealed at the ceremony, understand?" Stoick nodded as he offered his hand to mind.

I extended mind as we shook. "Done," I replied. Stoick stood behind me now, his hands on my shoulders and facing everyone in the hall.

"In 3 months time, the Hairy Hooligan Tribe of Berk will have a new Chief; my son, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third-Anderson," Stoick announced. It kind of warmed my heart that he included my adopted last name too. "The ceremony will be held on the first day of December in the year 2018," he added as I smiled and everyone began to clap and cheer at the news. Yeah, this was fine with me. My girlfriend, one day to be my wife is pregnant, I'm becoming the Chief in 3 months, my mom is home, and I'm surrounded by people who believe in and care about me; all is well in my life. Nothing could make it better.


	64. Smoke & Silence

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Smoke & Silence

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 9/16/2018-8 am]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

3 weeks had passed since a few new things had come to light. 1; the person who saved Hiccup from captivity by enemies was, in fact, his own mother, Valka Haddock, who everyone believed had been taken and eaten by dragons 22 years ago, but she was very much alive and spent the time rescuing dragons after learning the truth about them. 2; Vera is pregnant with hers and Hiccup's baby. 3; Stoick would be naming Hiccup Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe on December 1st, 2018. The Chieftains and their offspring were back on their own islands after the next day following the announcement by Stoick of making Hiccup the Chief in 3 months, which now, it was soon to be 2 months. Valka had moved her dragons in, and Hiccup got to meet the Bewilderbeast who he nicknamed Iceking due to the fact the Bewilderbeast used ice, not fire.

Also, Vera was moved into Stoick's house, sharing Hiccup's room with him until their house could be finished. Hiccup designed the whole thing and left it in the capable hands of the construction soldiers. Hiccup's house would get built next to the Great Hall beside Stoick and Valka's home. Hiccup's place would sit a tad farther back as he wanted one level with an added on stable that connected to the main house. Also, the house would have at least 3 bedrooms, 1 office space, living room, kitchen, and dining room; these last 3 spaces would be an open concept like his old home in Denmark. Hiccup was assured that the house would be done before he was named Chief.

Hiccup finally finished teaching Strike Class at the start of the next week following the announcement. And Hiccup opened the old dragon killing ring as the Berk Dragon Training Academy with himself as the leader and Strike Class Specialist. Anyone 15 and older could join, but he was still the only one who approved Owner ID and Flying Licenses. A training academy was being opened on every island; they would be known as; _Archipelago Dragon Training Academy_. Berk was the only one with a specific name, and Hiccup appointed who managed each branch of the schools on the individual islands. All of the firstborn Heir's and Heiress's had bonded dragons now, so did quite a few people from Berk.

Everyone seemed to be doing really well with training; they'd learned hand signals, dragon calls, and overall care and grooming. Flying was next, and Hiccup told Vera he would teach her the basics of general flight, but she was not permitted to do any rolls, flips, twirls, or anything other than slight turns and straight flight until after the baby was born. Also, Hiccup made it very clear that no expecting female rides their dragon after 5 months of pregnancy.

The missions for recon about Drago's army were a day or two long and happened twice a week. So far, Hiccup located all the bases in the Archipelago and estimated an equal amount of men to dragons. At least that's what he had figured after the last mission, which he was now returning from with Strike Unit.

"Strike Team, incoming," Askel reported as he pointed.

Toothless landed first as Hiccup got off his back tiredly from being up all night, and then making the flight back to Berk. The other team members landed and yawned while dragging their feet behind Hiccup to reach Colden, Askel, Einar, Sigmund, and Vidar.

"How was the mission?" Einar asked first.

"Morning, son," Stoick greeted as he strolled over with Valka on his left and holding Emma. Vera wasn't far behind with the Andersons.

"Hi, guys," Hiccup said to them all. "Head to breakfast, don't wait up for me. We've got business to take care of," he added.

"Aye, son," Stoick nodded while leading the group towards the Great Hall. Once they were out of earshot, Hiccup looked back to the leaders before him.

"This sounds severe," Sigmund said.

"It is, and should be discussed in private so grab a dragon rider from the team, mount up, and follow me," Hiccup ordered firmly. Not arguing as they placed Hiccup in charge; the group did as they were told and followed Hiccup on dragon-back to the cove.

 **. . .**

 _ **[8:30 am]  
**_ _[Berk, Archipelago; The Cove]_

"Where is this place?" Colden asked after the dragons landed and they had a chance to get down and see everything.

"It's location that sits just under Raven Point which is in the forest behind the Hooligan Village. I call it The Cove, and it's always been a quiet place I like to come to when I want a break or need to thing. Nobody ever comes here but me, and sometimes Vera with me. I don't desire to start a panic among the Tribe with the information, so I moved us here," Hiccup explained calmly.

"What were your findings on the mission, Lieutenant?" Einar inquired.

"The objective of the reconnaissance missions was achieved, sirs," Hiccup informed.

"Good…Good," Vidar sighed with some relief as Sigmund nodded in agreement with Colden and Askel who looked pleased.

"All bases have been located and marked on this map," Hiccup laid it out on the folding table for them, allowing them to see everything marked neatly.

"This is excellent work, Lieutenant Haddock," Askel approved.

"But we have a problem," Hiccup raised his eyes, showing seriousness. "To be precise; we have several matters of deep concern to address,"

"Go on," Vidar invited.

"The first problem is something I mentioned at the first meeting back in Denmark; we're dealing with one man, Drago Bludvist, leading a human and dragon army. Secondly; my suspicions were correct. Drago Bludvist is a Viking who seems to be seeking revenge on the islands based on what I've managed to overhear, but it doesn't stop there as he plans for domination. In short; he wants to rule the world. Not just the Archipelago, Denmark…All of it; he just plans to start with the Vikings, assuming they are the weakest and easiest to knock off first," Hiccup closed his eyes.

"What else are we facing?" Colden pushed.

"Another order of business is that members of the human army have been recruited from various countries, and they are fully equipped with an extensive collection of modern weapons," Hiccup continued. "He's got people from Iraq, Afghanistan, China, Japan…All over the globe; I didn't see any Americans, but perhaps his recruiting hasn't reached that far as of yet,"

"Sounding like what we deal with overseas," Askel mentioned.

"Yes…And this would explain why the wars in other countries are beginning to settle down and willing to negotiate settlements," Vidar added.

"Far worse as these people didn't choose to join Drago," Brynjar remarked. "He made them follow,"

"Lieutenant? Is this true?" Einar asked quickly with wide eyes.

"I'm afraid so, General Bentsen. It was spoken in Norse by Dragon Trappers, and while these guys can't understand it as fluently as I can; I was able to hear what was said. Drago forced them to follow, or he would tear their homes apart with the dragons," Hiccup stated sternly.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Sigmund questioned.

"2 more, yes. One; this man's human army is the size of what we say would be considered a Division. And the amount of dragons is estimated to be around 400. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but when they all attack at once; it will be like nothing you've ever seen. And even with Toothless having an Alpha mode and some control over how the dragons behave; I don't think I could stop them. I've seen raids first hand, and so have all of you since coming here. Those raids are only conducted by 15-30 dragons. And the last problem, which is probably the most concerning to me…" Hiccup trailed off.

"Couldn't Toothless defeat the Red Death and become in charge? Wouldn't they listen to him if he won?" Sigvard asked, a bit shocked now.

"That's the other problem we face," Hiccup faced all of them now. "Red Death is gone,"

"Gone? How can it be gone? It is a mountain-sized dragon according to your first few reports. Something like that doesn't just-," Vidar began.

"It's gone as in dead, Admiral…" Hiccup stared. The group fell silent now. "I saw its body. The reason this is a problem is that I don't know who or what would have defeated something of this magnitude, but it can't be anything good. I didn't find anything to show me any clues; I have a theory…I just really hope I'm wrong,"

"What's your theory?" Oivind asked.

"I'd need to speak with my mother about things before I got making assumptions. I might be head trainer, but my mother has been around dragons for 22 years, and I think she might know what could have defeated a Red Death," Hiccup stated.

"We trust your judgment. Go, we'll meet you there," Einar instructed.

"Will do," Hiccup jumped on Toothless's back and heading for the village once more.

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:05 am]  
[**_ _Berk, Archipelago; Hooligan Village]_

Walking into the Great Hall, Hiccup located his mother sitting with Stoick.

"Ah, just in time, son," Stoick smiled.

"I didn't come to eat. Mom, I need to talk to you," Hiccup looked at her seriously.

"Very well," Valka rose to her feet and walked with Hiccup outside of the hall, and over to Stoick's house. Einar, Askel, Colden, Vidar, Sigmund, and Strike Unit arrived as Hiccup let them inside after his mother entered. Once the door was closed, Hiccup faced her.

"Have you ever encountered a Red Death before in the last 22 years?" Hiccup asked. Valka thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"No, I'm afraid not, son. I've only heard legends from way back; truthfully, I thought they all perished in the changing times," Valka admitted.

"How much of them do you know?" Hiccup inquired.

"Stoker Class, massive, produces a homing signal that allows for it to force other dragons to do as told. Of course, it's not nearly as powerful as the Bewilderbeasts ability," Valka stated. "How much of them do you know, and why are you asking this?"

"I found one on an island West of here; it's about an hour and a half away by dragon," Hiccup confessed as Valka's eyes widened. "Mom, this dragon was 400 feet long, 99 feet tall, had a 550-foot wingspan, and weighed close to 60,000 pounds. I'm pretty confident that it's been behind the raids for Odin only knows how long,"

"This is serious, Hiccup. That dragon needs to be stopped! Iceking can step in and-," Valka started as Hiccup stared quickly.

"Iceking? The Bewilderbeast could defeat a Red Death?" Hiccup questioned instantly.

"We-Well, of course, son. The Bewilderbeast is the Alpha Species; I told you this. Every nest has its queen, but the Bewilderbeast is the king of all dragons. Iceking would greatly outsize and weigh a Red Death as he's-," Valka began.

"520 feet long, 160 feet and 5 ½ inches tall…" Hiccup breathed out.

"Hiccup, what is going on?" Valka demanded.

"The Red Death I found is dead, Mom and I wanted to know what could have possibly killed it. And you just gave me the answer; a Bewilderbeast. Water against Fire…The Red Death never stood a chance because the Bewilderbeast could have taken control to throw it off guard; then killed it," Hiccup said quickly. "How many Bewilderbeasts are there, Mom?"

"I-I don't know, son. I know that very few still exist, and I've been with Iceking for 22 years…He's the reigning Alpha. If there is another Bewilderbeast out there; it would have to battle mine for the status of Alpha and take control of any dragons," Valka explained, stunned.

"Oh…Man, this is bad. Drago has to have a Bewilderbeast…" Brynjar said now.

"Drago?" Valka asked.

"Did you just say Drago?" Stoick pushed the door open and walked in.

"Were you listening in?!" Hiccup glared.

"I'm still the Chief of this Tribe; I need to know what's going on. Did you say Drago?" Stoick asked again.

"Well, Brynjar did…But yeah, that's the guy leading all this madness. Drago Bludvist," Hiccup informed. Valka and Stoick quickly looked at one another. "Okay, what do you two know?"

"What makes you think they know anything, Hiccup?" Askel asked.

"I just know…Out with it you two. This is not a game; I've been after this guy since February after getting attacked on his orders during that drill weekend. I know he's a former Viking by the way he dresses, he works with dragons, and he can speak Norse. Do you know him?" Hiccup stood up, demanding information now.

"Aye…" Stoick nodded.

"We know him," Valka looked down. "I've rescued most of my dragons from Drago Bludvist trappers over the years. Toothless found me as I was coming into the base to save more; that's how I knew my way to the prison hold. I've been captured before. I know he's been trying to build an army…But I didn't know this was who we were dealing with, or how bad this has gotten,"

"And how do you know him, Dad?" Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest.

"Years ago, Hiccup, when you were still a baby; there was the annual Chieftain meeting to discuss the dragon scourge we all faced. Into our midst came a stranger by the name of Drago Bludvist; he said he was a man of the people and could stop the dragons if we agreed to bow down to him…We laughed, then he left the hall, and an army of armored dragons descended burning the place to the ground…I was the only one to escape alive," Stoick closed his eyes.

"God…Damnit…This is shit I needed to know months ago. I told you…I told you five specifically that this guy could be a Viking and suggested asking my father about it, and you wouldn't let me!" Hiccup growled. "Now we've got a Viking leading a human and dragon army to take over the world, and on top it…He has a friggin Bewilderbeast, something bigger and stronger than the Red Death…For all we know; this could be about revenge…" Hiccup dragged his hands down his face. Toothless warbled sadly, nudging Hiccup's face a bit.

"What do we do?" Ander asked slowly. Hiccup had his arms on his legs, his head was down.

"I-I don't…I don't know if there is anything we can do," Hiccup admitted. "We're ridiculously outnumbered when it comes to soldiers, and the Bewilderbeast would just take control of the other dragons…This might not be a battle we can win…Or even fight. We should evacuate, regroup in Denmark and plan a better defense…That's…The safest option for all involved. Fighting now would just be a bloodbath…" Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup! Ships…Fleet…enemies closing…in…" Astrid panted, running in with a few others.

"All the Chieftains and their children are here too," Snotlout added. Hiccup hurried out outside to see everything happening. This was the attack, and they were far from ready for it.

"Hiccup…What do we do?" Katja asked first.

"Lieutenant! They've surrounded the island!" a soldier rushed up. "The lead ship is heading right for the docks,"

"How was none of this noticed! We have around the clock patrols!" Hiccup yelled.

"Mass of dragons, incoming!" another soldier from in a tower called down. Hiccup was scared, but he knew everyone was somehow looking to him for answers and a plan.

"Orders, sir?" one soldier asked.

"Issuing code; Alpha Black. Sound the alarm, gear up and defend the citizens at all costs," Hiccup demanded.

"Aye, sir!" the soldiers saluted and hurried off and moved like lightning to get ready; there was very little time to act. Seconds later; there was a blaring horn sounding throughout the island as soldiers all over began to get ready and swarm to form a defensive line in front of the tribe and guests. Hiccup went to run back into his father's house.

"Hiccup, where are you going!" Einar yelled.

"Don't question the person you put in charge. I gave an order, now follow it!" Hiccup glared as he got inside and to his room. Opening the closet; he saw what he wanted. Hiccup quickly grabbed the items and started getting ready. This was a last resort idea that he hoped he wouldn't have to use, and the scary part is that nothing had been tested. Hiccup just knew that a couple of his crazy inventions might come in handy for a surprise attack. Hiccup returned outside 10 minutes later wearing an all black set of clothing, but it wasn't the black and gray camo uniform. No, this was something he made in all his spare time.

This was an all black, scaled armor set done Viking style. The belt black too, but a metal, silver plate in front showing the crest of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe. Running down Hiccup's back was a dark brown fur cape, strapped to his leg was a two-sided handle with dragon heads.

"Hiccup?" Stoick asked. "When in the name of Odin did you get that?"

"Made it…" Hiccup said. "Now, shush…Everyone is just gonna play along and act like I'm the Chief, got it?"

"Do what you have to do, son. We're all behind you, and we have nothing but full faith in your abilities to end this. Be safe, Hiccup," Stoick told him firmly. Hiccup nodded as he stood in front of the soldiers as there was shaking before a massive black dragon rose from the water, on its head was Drago Bludvist. The dragon lowered some as Drago stepped on the ground before Hiccup while holding a bullhook.

"Hiccup Haddock the Third…I've been looking forward to meeting you," Drago started.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual," Hiccup retorted. "You're pretty bold coming up here alone,"

"I just want to talk," Drago said. "My dear boy; I have no intention of fighting you,"

"We have nothing to talk about," Hiccup remarked.

"Oh, but we do. See…You're in my way, and I need you to not be. This world needs to be cleaned with a new leader. Look at this world, Hiccup. It's filled with hatred, wars…People don't listen to those of us who have seen how things really are. We're…Different, so we're cast aside and regarded as nothing. You understand this pain, Hiccup. The pain of nobody wanting you around, listening to you, believing in your abilities or supporting your ideas. Together we can stop everything, put an end to the devastation and destruction. We can destroy those who wish to cause a rift in our peacefulness. Help me start this world anew," Drago offered.

"I agree with what you're saying; the fighting and the hatred needs to stop…" Hiccup said, shocking everyone. "But I could never be part of the way you want to make that happen. You speak of wanting to end wars and bring peace, yet you stand before me with a Bewilderbeast, hoard of dragons, and thousands more soldiers ready to destroy the Archipelago and continue your devastation to the rest of the world," Drago seemed to glare a bit. "You built this combined army by forcing them to work for you. You aim to dominate the world; using dragons to conquer people. To make people follow you…And get rid of those who don't,"

"Clever boy," Drago nodded. "Good on you," Drago clapped with a grin. "I suppose you're going to demand I give this up because I'll never win? Imprison or kill me? Call it a day and go home with your family?"

"You know, that sounds like a great idea. Thank you for your surrender and being so cooperative," Hiccup stated with a smile. But then his eyes narrowed a bit. "Unfortunately, we both know this isn't how it's going to go, don't we?"

"Of course not. As you won't join me; I'm just going to have to kill you first, and I think it would be appropriate to have your best friend be the one to do it," Drago smirked. Toothless growled at Drago now.

"Toothless would never attack me; we have a bond like you couldn't even imagine," Hiccup informed.

"I think you'll find that doesn't matter when the Alpha gives an order," Drago enlightened.

"Your dragon isn't the Alpha," Hiccup glared.

"Are you so certain?" Drago asked. "I say we put it to the test. AH! Ah! AHH!" he yelled out as the black and gray Bewilderbeast came closer and Drago pointed his hook at the ground beside him. The Bewilderbeast stopped and stared. "No dragon can resist the Alpha's command. So he who controls the Alpha," Drago pointed his staff at Toothless now. "Controls them all," The Bewilderbeasts eyes turned to slits, the frills on its head vibrating as Toothless shook his head, whining.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"The white Bewilderbeast is dead. It was an easy attack…My dragon is the Alpha now. So witness true strength. The strength of will over others," Drago said as Toothless's eyes became slits and he stared at the Alpha obediently. "In the face of it; you are nothing," Drago pointed his staff at Hiccup now as Toothless slowly turned his head towards Hiccup.

"Uh…What did he just tell you?" Hiccup took a nervous step back. Toothless began to stalk closer, menacingly and growling. "Toothless…Come on. What's the matter with you? No, no…What are you doing? Knock it off," Hiccup kept moving away from Toothless. "Stop!" he put his hands out. "Snap out of it!"

"HICCUP!" Stoick yelled out as he began shoving people out of the way and getting to the front as Toothless opened his mouth and charged a blast.

"Toothless, no!" Hiccup begged now. "Toothless!" he called again, but it was no use. Toothless was under the control of the Bewilderbeast. "Don't!"

"Hiccup!" Stoick rushed towards his son.

"Stop!" Hiccup tried again, scared. Toothless prepared to fire.

"SON!" Stoick bellowed with fear in his eyes. Hiccup saw him now and put a hand out to stop him.

"Dad!" Hiccup shouted as a warning to stay back. Toothless fired as Stoick pushed Hiccup out of the way; getting hit with Toothless's plasma blast. There was nothing but smoke, worry, and silence.


	65. Finally Done

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Finally Done

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 9/16/2018-10:15 am]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

It was as if time had stopped. Nobody moved, talked, and it seemed like everyone was holding their breath as the smoke began to fade away after Toothless fired under the black Bewilderbeast's control. Stoick and Hiccup both went out of sight after it happened. As the scene became clearer; first to get seen was Toothless, panting as smoke was emitting from his mouth. Next was Hiccup bent over on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Stoick, though, he was laying on his side in the place Hiccup had been standing before Toothless fired his plasma blast. Hiccup looked at his father; then back at Toothless who appeared to still be under the control of the Bewilderbeast.

"Stoick…" Valka breathed out as she began making her way through to get to her husband. Drago looked, then just gave a shrug of content, grinning as he moved beside his Bewilderbeast. Hiccup forced himself to get up, staggering once to find his balance.

"No…" Hiccup rushed to his father's side, skidding as he rounded to get behind Stoick. "Dad!" Hiccup called, shoving some of the rocks off and trying to roll him onto his back. Stoick didn't move or respond; his eyes were closed. Valka quickly got down to listen for Stoick's heartbeat. "No…You…" Hiccup couldn't even find his words. Valka couldn't find the sound; there was nothing at all. Valka felt tears brimming her eyes as she looked at Hiccup sadly. Hiccup took deep, panicky breaths, shaking his head. "…No…" Hiccup denied the message his mother was silently conveying; that his father was dead. "No…No, no, no…" Hiccup felt his own tears form as he lowered his head onto his arms, which were on Stoick's body as he cried.

Vera and Gobber rushed forward. Vera knelt down beside Hiccup, trying to comfort him and control her own tears. Gobber removed his helmet as Valka looked at him, shaking her head. Even Gobber was going to cry. Everyone understood what happened; Stoick gave his life to save Hiccup's, and now he was gone. Shock and sadness washed over those on Berk, lowering their heads in prayer almost. Some cried against, others just held it in and wondered what would happen now. As Stoick's firstborn; Hiccup would immediately be considered the next Chief. Of course, right now, Hiccup was heartbroken, and there was no telling what would happen from here.

Drago finally chuckled. "You see, boy?" Drago asked. "No alliance with a dragon will ever be stronger than the Alpha. Every connection can be severed," he stated as Hiccup began to lift his head. "And nothing lasts forever," Drago smirked. Hiccup slowly got to his feet, having Valka and Vera let him go so he could rise to his feet and walk away from Stoick's body; his head remained lowered, and he didn't say a word.

"Soldiers! Prepare to atta-," Einar started his command, but Hiccup put his hand out as the signal they all knew meant to hold fire and stay back.

"No…" Hiccup said quietly. "Nobody attacks and that's an order," he put his hand down, head still lowered and eyes closed as he approached Drago. "It's personal now; this is between him and me," Hiccup knew they couldn't fight this battle. Hiccup felt he was the only person who stood a chance, but he needed Toothless first. Hiccup needed to break the Alpha's control on Toothless. But Hiccup couldn't let the others fight this. In a literal sense, they could, but to Hiccup; this was his fight, and he wouldn't risk them.

"Do you want to die as well?" Drago raised his bullhook to command another attack, but he stopped when Hiccup stood before him silently. "Is this a surrender? Perhaps you finally understand and see what I was trying to tell you?" Drago asked. Hiccup didn't reply. "You see that it's futile to fight me? What will you do Hiccup Haddock? Will you fight and die or join me and live?"

"What option brings my father back?" Hiccup finally asked.

"Neither," Drago replied. "He is dead, and you will meet the same fate if you fight. And with you out of the way…Nobody can stop me," he laughed a little as the Bewilderbeast roared out; taking control of the remaining dragons on Berk and joining the circling group above the island. "This world deserves to fall and burn, then from the ashes, a new one will emerge with me as the leader. Those who fight will die, and those who don't will serve," he informed.

"Then I have no reason to keep you alive," Hiccup's eyes opened, narrowing darkly as he pulled back his left fist and rammed it into Drago's face hard. The force threw Drago back a few feet as Hiccup lowered his hand to his side, both fists clenched tightly. Drago rolled to his side and moved his jaw a bit before getting up and staring at Hiccup. "If that is your belief on how the world should work; then it is you who will die because I will not allow you to move past this point in your plan,"

"You cannot stop me! Nobody can! I have the army of dragons!" Drago glared.

"I don't think you truly believe that no one can stop you," Hiccup informed.

"Don't be foolish, boy. What do you possibly have to fight me with? You won't dare attack or deploy your army to battle as long as I have the dragons!" Drago growled.

"Why would I endanger my soldier's and people's lives just because you're a coward?" Hiccup inquired, shocking those behind him at his bold statement; he was very calm for someone who just lost his father to his possessed dragon. Of course, this wouldn't last. It was the calm before the storm and in a literal sense…A storm was rolling in. Hiccup was either going to lose it with sadness or rage out. Neither case would be good, especially if Hiccup fought out of grief.

"Excuse me?" Drago asked.

"I dislike repeating myself," Hiccup said. "You're a coward if you needed all this get rid of one 22-year-old male. Right? That's what you said; _with you out of the way, nobody can stop me_. You didn't attack anyone else upon arriving. In fact, you singled me out and called me by name. Seems to me that you know with me alive; you stand no chance of winning. So you either need me to join your foolish crusade of world domination, or you need me to die," Hiccup mentioned.

"You have nothing to fight with," Drago snapped.

"I have a lot I could fight with, same as you. I have weapons, I have an army of soldiers, and every Tribe in the Archipelago standing behind me. I even have Toothless," Hiccup replied.

"Your Night Fury belongs to the Alpha now," Drago remarked. "I've already shown you that your bond means nothing. You are nothing, Hiccup Haddock. Just as you've always been," Hiccup flinched a little. "I know all about you, so I can't understand why you won't join me and rid the world of the people who betrayed you," Hiccup was quiet. "Join me, and I'll release your only friend from the control of the Alpha; we'll be unbeatable. You can extract revenge for how you were treated. Bullied, teased, belittled…Regarded as a useless nuisance. Invisible to everyone. Heir to the throne, but never respected or believed in. Who thought you could do it? No one. Not even your dear old dad,"

Hiccup started shaking. "Shut up," he warned.

"You were abandoned by your mother for dragons. You were scolded, ignored, and treated as an outcast by your father. These people tore you down to the point of wanting to kill yourself, and yet you stand before me; defending them after what they did. And for what? You're a means to an end, Hiccup. What happens after this? They going to welcome you with open arms? Let me ask this; why now?" Drago pushed as Hiccup stared. "They didn't need you before, so why now? Is it perhaps that after you ran away for 8 years and returned to protect them from my attacks, they saw what you were capable of? Or maybe you rode the most feared dragon known to human, pushed back a raid, an enemy attack, and wielded the modern weapons they can't fight again. You've always been capable, haven't you? They couldn't see before, why now? Face it, boy…They don't need you in their lives. You're risking your life for people who don't even care about you,"

"I told you to shut up," Hiccup clenched his fists tighter. "It doesn't matter what they did!" he glared now, angrily. "Yes, everything you say is true, but I'm still a Viking, and this is still where I'm from. I wasn't leaving them defenseless. None of what they did then matters to me because coming back to protect them was my choice!" he yelled. "I wasn't ordered, I wasn't asked…I chose to help because it's the right thing to do. So you can just wipe that stupid smirk off your face about trying to get in my head and make me join you to get revenge before I come over there and fucking smack it off myself," Hiccup retorted coldly.

Drago's brow twitched in aggravation of his words. "What you're doing won't work on me, Drago. No matter where I went or for how long…I still ended up back here because this is where I belong, and it's my job to protect my home. So yes, despite what they did…I will stand. I will fight, and I will protect them until the day I die because that's what a Chief does; he protects his own. And one more thing; you're wrong about connections severing…Toothless is my best friend, and I can get him back and kick your ass, just the two of us," Hiccup stated.

"Is that a fact? You think your little bond is enough to pull him from the control of the Alpha? And even if you do; you think you can stop me? I'd like to see you prove it. Go on. Please, oh great dragon master; try to take him, but he will not miss a second time," Drago challenged as he backed up a little, smirking. Hiccup looked at Toothless and walked towards him. Everyone now wondered if Hiccup really could do it; pull Toothless from the Bewilderbeast's control.

Hiccup took a deep breath and relaxed, he slowly began putting his hand out. "Toothless? Hey…It's me, bud. It's me. I'm right here…Come back to me," Hiccup said softly. Drago only laughed a little as Toothless's possessed stare on Hiccup did not change. "It wasn't your fault, bud; they made you do it," Hiccup stated. It was a split-second shift, but Toothless's pupils dilated a bit before returning to the slit form. Toothless shook a little, struggling to regain control.

Hiccup was doing it; he was getting through!

"You'd never hurt him," Hiccup reminded gently, his hand getting closer now as he smiled a little. "You'd never hurt me," Hiccup's hand touched Toothless's snout. Toothless warbled gently, still fighting off the Alpha's hold on him. "I won't leave you. I won't let you go," Toothless screeched a bit, still battling for control of himself. Hiccup felt tears brim his eyes. "Please, you…Are my best friend, bud. My best friend," Toothless pulled away from Hiccup, shaking his head and growling a little with his eyes closed as he then opened his green eyes once more, dilated pupils in full as he gave a gummy smile and croon to Hiccup. "Atta boy! That's it! I'm here!" Hiccup cheered.

"Enough!" Drago yelled as he whacked Hiccup away from Toothless with the bullhook; there was enough force to knock Hiccup off the side of the island.

"HICCUP!" several worried friends and family shouted. Toothless grabbed the stick from Drago, biting it in half and shooting a mini-blast to knock him back before diving over the side and getting under Hiccup.

"Almost there, buddy! Almost there!" Hiccup said. Toothless got into position as Hiccup landed on his back and the two shot back up into sight while everyone began cheering. "You save me, I save you," Hiccup smiled rubbing Toothless's head. "That's the way it is. Now let's finish this!" he stated as Toothless gave an affirmative growl.

"Do something!" Drago commanded his Bewilderbeast. Hiccup glared.

"We need to get those two apart…" Hiccup mumbled, staring at Drago on the Bewilderbeast's tusk. Hiccup directed Toothless up a bit around the back of the Great Hall, grabbing a piece of flag as they flew by. The Bewilderbeast shot its ice, and it missed Hiccup and Toothless. "You gotta block it out, Toothless," he reminded his Night Fury. "Do you trust me, bud?" Hiccup asked holding the strip of red flag now. Toothless warbled as Hiccup tied the piece in place. "We can do this. You and me, as one," he said. "Now let's try this one more time!" he called as the two of them came back into sight.

"Yeah!" everyone cheered.

"You can do it, Hiccup!" people shouted and rallied for him.

"Take him down, babe!" Vera grinned.

Drago glared seeing Hiccup and Toothless coming right at them. "Take control of it!" the Bewilderbeast tried but failed when Hiccup covered Toothless's ears while laying flat against Toothless's back.

"Shut it out, Toothless," Hiccup said loudly.

"Stop them!" Drago ordered.

"NOW!" Hiccup called. The Bewilderbeast fired it's icy blast dead ahead as Toothless flew right over and curved up some. Drago laughed; then gasped seeing Hiccup wasn't on Toothless's back anymore as the Night Fury's blindfold fell off and was flying upside down with a grin almost.

"Huh!?" Drago gasped as Hiccup was flying right towards him; a pair of leather wings under his arms and coming down to a point at his ankles. Hiccup held the two-headed handle as a green gas emitted from one end. Hiccup waited only a moment as he pressed a button and sparked the gas for an explosion along the side of the Bewilderbeast's head. Hiccup glided off as Drago was thrown off the Bewilderbeast and to the ground hard; he panted, struggling to get up.

"Toothless, it's now or never!" Hiccup yelled as everyone saw him heading for the Bewilderbeast's tail. Toothless split his back spines apart and flew under Hiccup, catching him as they flew up and cleared the tail without crashing. "Yeah! We did it!" he rubbed Toothless's face as they curved around and landed back in front of everyone while Hiccup got off quickly, holding the handle of his weapon. Seconds later, an ignited sword shot out of the handle as Hiccup hurled it towards Drago; keeping him from moving. "Hold him there, Toothless…It's over now,"

"Or is it?" Drago smirked. Hiccup had just finished putting his leather wings away back into his suit when the Bewilderbeast showed behind him and Toothless.

"Uh…" Hiccup paused. The Bewilderbeast expelled a blast of ice towards Hiccup. "Oh, no!" he crouched down to cover himself and last second; Toothless jumped over Hiccup as the ice encased them.

Drago laughed, grinning as Valka instantly rushed to the ice; she banged on it relentlessly. "No! No…Hiccup…" she lowered her head. However, something happened; there was a growing blue glow emitting from the center of the formation. Everyone's eyes widened and gasped as Valka quickly backed up, and the ice exploded revealing Toothless in Alpha Mode; under his body, safe and sound was Hiccup. Toothless roared out at the Bewilderbeast before turning his head to check on Hiccup, warbling. Hiccup panted but smiled. Toothless growled lowly as he launched himself on one of the ice spikes, snarling and screeching at the Bewilderbeast; it roared right back at Toothless.

Hiccup stepped back with the others, shocked. "H-He's challenging the Alpha!?" Hiccup said with wide, amazed eyes.

"To protect you," Valka said quickly, coming to Hiccup's side. Toothless fired a blast at the Bewilderbeast's face, then another on the other side. Three more blasts followed these two as the dragons growled at one another. Suddenly, above; the swirling mass of dragons seemed to break apart and shake their heads and watch as Toothless continued to fire at the Bewilderbeast. After one attack, Toothless jumped down to Hiccup's level, and roared out as the dragons seemed to obey and fly over above the island now; then stay in the air.

"No. No, no, no! Fight back!" Drago ordered the Bewilderbeast as he climbed the tusk to get on the dragon's head again. "Fight back! What's the matter with you!?" Everyone stepped forward firmly, glaring and ready to fight back behind Hiccup, who had now gotten on Toothless's back as the two of them were on a higher ice spike.

"Now do you get it?" Hiccup motioned around. "This is what it is to earn a dragon's loyalty. This is what it means to take a stand and end a war. Let this end, now,"

"Never, come on!" Drago urged the Bewilderbeast forward to attack again. Toothless charged a blast and fired hard. Immediately following that, the rest of the dragons began to fire as well; creating a barrage of fireballs that the Bewilderbeast. After a minute of the relentless attack; the Bewilderbeast rose up, roaring loudly as Toothless snarled back. "They do not deserve your protection!" Drago snapped. Lightning began to crack around the area.

Hiccup raised his sword up, commanding the dragons to set down in the village. "It's not about deserve," as he did this; a bolt struck the blade, encasing it in lightning, but he never got electrocuted. Hiccup looked at himself, smiling a bit. "It's about what you believe. And I believe in peace for all," he added.

"Then I will destroy everything you love!" Drago raged.

Toothless charged a blast, spreading his wings out as lightning struck once more; this time not only did it hit the metal blade but it traveled around Hiccup's metal armor and channeled around Toothless and him. "A Chief protects his own and the Alpha protects them all. And as long as we stand together, people like you will never never win. These are my people. This is my home. And you are not welcome here. Goodbye, Drago," Hiccup said. Toothless launched into the air as lightning sparked around both of them; Hiccup pointed his blade at Drago as Toothless fired a blue blast that knocked Drago off the Bewilderbeast and onto the ground again. After a few seconds; the lightning faded from both of them as they descended. The Bewilderbeast, moved back, turning its head away before diving into the water and taking off.

Hiccup jumped off Toothless and approached Drago with a cold look in his eyes; the man was weak, but still alive. "You killed my father…" Hiccup stated as he raised his sword and began bringing it down.

"Hiccup, no!" Vera yelled quickly. The blade stabbed the ground a mere inch from striking Drago's head. The man looked terrified as Hiccup only glared with tears in his eyes.

"Punishing murder with murder is beneath me," Hiccup remarked as he withdrew his sword and backed up as Drago sat up slowly. Hiccup suddenly whipped around. "But this is not!" he slammed his fist into Drago's face again; this time, knocking the man clear into unconsciousness. Hiccup sighed, looking up at the sky. "It's finally over,"

 ***Author's Note;** _Yes, I used some of the lines and scenes from Wonder Woman, and the HTTYD 3 trailer. Thought it might make things different and interesting. And the lightning thing is totally viable as Hiccup is wearing a metal armor set; lightning is attracted to metal and Toothless channels lightning. I don't own WW or HTTYD, so just so everyone doesn't come at me for all that. Also; this story will be ending shortly. I have about…5 chapters to go. -Nightstar_ **.***


	66. I Can Only Promise To Try

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

I Can Only Promise To Try

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Sunday, 9/16/2018-11 am]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

Hiccup had done it; he defeated Drago by himself. Every soldier and tribe had been ready to fight, but Hiccup would not allow them to interfere; not after Drago made the Bewilderbeast take control of Toothless to kill him and then Stoick ran in to take his son's place. Hiccup outright said that the battle was personal between him and Drago; then Hiccup fought like no one had ever seen before. Hiccup got Toothless back from the Alpha's control, proving that their bond and friendship was stronger; then Hiccup and Toothless worked together. It was definitely something to see, and people would be talking about it for generations to come that one man and one dragon ended a war. Toothless saved Hiccup, then challenged the Bewilderbeast for the position of Alpha; Toothless won and had help from the other dragons who were released from the Bewilderbeast's hold.

The coolest, most unexpected part of the fight was Toothless channeling lightning. Then again; a Night Fury was the unholy offspring of Lightning and Death itself, so it shouldn't have been that surprising. The shocking part was seeing Hiccup have it around him and not get electrocuted. The Bewilderbeast bowed and submitted to Toothless; then swam off. And Hiccup knocked Drago unconscious; the war was over before it had even begun just as Hiccup had stated it could be if done correctly. Toothless now stood beside his friend as Hiccup watched the soldiers and Vikings cheer and celebrate the victory. Hiccup watched as everyone was reunited with their dragons, talking, and being overall grateful that there wouldn't be an all-out war.

"Well done, Lieutenant Haddock," Einar congratulated.

'Thank you," Hiccup replied, but his tone was flat. Hiccup was perhaps the only one not thrilled about what had been done. However, the reason for that was obvious to everyone. Things began to settle down, and the dragons began to form around Toothless and Hiccup.

"What's happening?" Askel inquired now.

"Toothless defeated the Bewilderbeast," Hiccup informed now. "That makes him the new Alpha," he added calmly. Cloud Jumper was the first to approach and bow his head. The rest of the dragons followed suit as Toothless proudly raised his head, roaring loudly as the other dragons did the same immediately after. "And this is them accepting Toothless as their new leader," Toothless gave a gummy smile as he turned and looked at Hiccup now. Hiccup gave a light smile. "You never cease to amaze me, bud…Thank you," Hiccup pressed his forehead to Toothless's.

Toothless got excited and licked Hiccup's face repetitively, knocking Hiccup down and continuing. "Toothless, you know that doesn't wash out!" Hiccup struggled to get free as everyone laughed a bit. Soon, Toothless stopped as Hiccup got up and saw all the smiles and joy around him.

"What you did was incredible," Colden smiled.

"I just…Did what I to do," Hiccup stated. Gothi tapped Hiccup on the shoulder with her staff as Hiccup looked at her while the old woman offered a smile and lifted her arms. Not many understood, but Hiccup did. It was a transfer of position; Hiccup was going from Heir to Chief due to his father's sudden and tragic death. The Tribe needed a Chief, and the duty fell on Hiccup's shoulders. Hiccup took a breath, almost nodding as he took a knee with his hands resting on the leg that was bent. The cheering ceased as everyone watched.

Gothi, the village elder, wiped her fingers along a burnt log, collecting some of the black ash on her fingers and rubbing it around as she looked at Hiccup now. Gothi touched Hiccup's forehead as his eyes closed; the woman drew a shallow, half, upward facing circle between the eyebrows. Follow that, Gothi drew a smaller, down-facing half circle that connected to the upward facing one. To finish, Gothi drew a line through both of the first two drawings, and down a little father.

When Gothi's hand left his forehead. Hiccup's eyes opened as Gothi stepped back with a smile and offered a bow to him. Hiccup stood up with his head down a bit as Gobber hobbled over and turned Hiccup a bit so he could see; the man smiled proudly almost. Hiccup faced the crowd in front of him, lifting his head as everyone saw the mark in full.

"The Chief has come home!" Gobber announced. The hollering and cheering at the news began quickly as Hiccup nodded his head in different directions of people, a slight, almost nervous smile on his face.

"LONG LIVE THE CHIEF! LONG LIVE THE CHIEF! LONG LIVE THE CHIEF!" the crowd of Vikings began cheering.

"Wait…What just happened?" Eirik asked.

"Gothi initiated Hiccup's position as Chief of the Tribe since he is the only successor of Stoick who is of age to take over. Gothi just made it official; Hiccup is now Chief of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe on Berk," Vera explained.

"But…Wasn't he supposed to become Chief in December?" Katja asked.

"But in the event of the current Chief's untimely death, the position immediately is given to the next Heir or Heiress in line," Thuggory stated. "That would be Hiccup, so as Stoick's passing was unplanned; Hiccup becoming Chief happens almost instantly,"

"Technically he was Chief the moment Stoick was pronounced, but since the fight was still going on; the officiating had to wait," Camicazi added.

"Someone has to lead the Tribe, there is no waiting on putting someone in power. If Hiccup would have passed away; it goes to the next Heir, which in this case would be Snotlout as he's also of age. Or Spitelout as Stoick's second in command. At least until one of the twins took over at 16 being the earliest," Soren continued the explanation.

Hiccup hated listening to it. Yeah, he was the Chief, and he knew he'd always become one…But this wasn't how he wanted to be given the title. Hiccup sighed, closing his eyes as Valka approached after motioning to the others to stop. Everyone understood that Hiccup was hurting, and this might have been a big moment for him becoming Chief, but it wasn't without sadness the event took place.

"Your father would be every bit of proud as I am," Valka said, holding Hiccup's hands with hers. Hiccup's eyes fell sad. "You know he loved you more than life itself, Hiccup,"

"Yeah, I…I can see that," Hiccup lowered his head as Valka pulled him into a hug. As much as everyone wanted to rejoice about the victory and celebrate the new Berk Chief; there were other matters, though sad to do, that needed to be handled first.

Gobber stepped beside Hiccup, trying to offer a comforting smile to the young man he had practically raised. "Orders, Chief?" Gods, that pained Hiccup to hear.

Hiccup took a deep breath. "Begin cleaning up and rebuilding. Tend anyone wounded. As for my father…" Hiccup closed his eyes and began walking towards his father's home. "You know what must be done, and I trust in your ability to see to the arrangements while I…" Hiccup paused. "I just need a few minutes alone…"

"Old Gobber will handle it," Gobber nodded. "Go on," Hiccup walked to Stoick's house quietly, entering slow and closing the door behind him. "It's going to be a while before he's alright," the blacksmith sighed.

"Stoick gave his life to save Hiccup," Brynjar mentioned. "Hiccup has seen friends die in war, but this was his father, and it was a sacrifice. I'm deeply concerned about how this will affect him,"

"We'll all be here for him," Vera stated firmly.

"Right now, we must do your duty as Vikings and prepare the funeral," Spitelout stepped up.

"What can we do to help?" Sigvard asked.

"We'll do the gun salute, and carry the casket," Oivind offered.

"That is not how things are done here; you will leave it to us," Alvin remarked.

"He's right, we have our own way of honoring a fallen member," Viggo added softly.

"Yes, father," Brynjar nodded.

"Who will be on the firing team?" Mogadon inquired.

"Hey, I thought you said-," Davyn began.

"Different team," Gobber sighed.

"The tradition is for the immediate family, but if the death occurs off the island; it is whoever is present at the time," Valka reminded.

"And also the Heir or Heiress's spouse is supposed to do it as well," Norbert added in.

"That means Vera, as she's the future Chieftess, Valka, Spitelout, Snotlout, Frida, and I will do the task. Stoick was my best friend; we were practically brothers," Gobber said as he faced Henrik. "As…Hiccup's second family, would you like to fire an arrow in Stoick's honor as well?"

"I will," Henrik nodded.

"I'll be holding Emma," Mari informed. "We will stand with the rest of the Tribe," she motioned to herself, Britta, Lilly, Lukas, and Hagen.

"It's settled then, let's get thing moving along," Spitelout clapped his hands to get people hustling. Those from Denmark weren't sure what would be happening, but they would be there for Hiccup and watch how things were done. It was clear that this was traditional for when someone died among them; it would be both sad and a learning experience.

 **. . .**

 _ **[11:30 am]**_

Hiccup remained in his father's home by himself; he stripped out of the armor and set it in his room before dressing in something a bit more formal. This wasn't tradition to do, but Hiccup felt that he should for his father's funeral. It wasn't anything modern that he put on; it was his Viking attire. Brown pants and brown leather boots, green long sleeve shirt. He wore the brown belt with the silver plated crest of the Hooligan Tribe, and strapped to his left thigh was his weapon; the two-headed handle Hiccup was seen with that did really interesting things. All anyone knew so far was that it caused explosions and was a flaming sword. Hiccup grabbed the brown fur cloak and hung it on his shoulders before sitting down on the couch and just looking around silently.

Despite how many people lived here now; Hiccup had never felt the home so empty in his entire life. The lack of his father's presence was eerie. Hiccup wasn't ready for this, and he didn't want to. Of all the deaths he'd experienced; this one was the hardest. This wasn't another soldier, another friend…This was his father. No matter how bad their relationship had been, Hiccup never stopped loving his dad. Things had been perfect since Hiccup returned home. Hiccup and Stoick were good, his mother turned up alive and came back, his best friend and adoptive family were living with among him, and Vera is pregnant with Hiccup's and her first child. In fact, Vera was 12 weeks and 1 day along today.

For one month, everything was perfect. Hiccup told himself that nothing could make him happier, but he didn't anticipate anything could make him miserable. And that's exactly what has happened today. Stoick gave his life to protect Hiccup, and now he was gone, and Hiccup didn't know a death could hit him so hard. All the deaths in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan didn't even begin to add up to what Hiccup felt right now. There was a constant stabbing in his chest, and no matter what he did; he couldn't bring himself to stop crying silently. The tears just kept falling from his eyes.

It had been about 30 minutes since he walked away from everyone needing some time to himself; thankfully, everyone was happy to give it to him understanding how Hiccup must be feeling at the moment. Hiccup tried to take a few breaths and wipe the tears away. There were a few knocks on the door.

"Hiccup?" Gobber's voice came through the door. "It's time," he said. Hiccup closed his eyes and took a deep breath before rising to his feet and opening the door slowly to see Gobber there. "We've prepared it on Thor's Beach; we just need you," he informed. Hiccup only managed a nod as he closed the door behind him and began walking forward. Hiccup never said a word as he dragged his feet through town while reaching the Thor's Beach. Hiccup's eyes instantly fell on the pyre where his father's body laid cover with a sheet and sitting atop on the chest region was his helmet. "Whenever you're ready, Chief…"

"There is…Never being ready for this, Gobber…There is only do it, and take each day as it comes whether it be good or bad," Hiccup said evenly. "So let's just do it…" he added sadly.

"Yes, Chief," Gobber nodded and then gave a look to Alvin and Mogadon; two of Stoick's closest allies and friends next to himself as they put their hands on the pyre, and then pushed it out to sea. The calm motions of the ocean carried the small boat farther out as Hiccup felt the tears brim his eyes once more. "May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury so that we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla, and know that you've taken your rightful place at the table of kings,"

The tears began falling from Hiccup's eyes as Gobber handed Hiccup a bow and single arrow with the top covered in a white cloth. Gobber put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder as he had head lowered. "For a great man has fallen; a warrior, a husband, a father…A friend," Gobber choked up while he stood in line with Vera, Valka, Spitelout, Snotlout, and Frida; all of them had a bow and arrow, the same as Hiccup did.

Hiccup took a shaky breath as he set the arrow on the string and turned the tip towards a glowing and hot piece of wood beside him. The cloth caught fire as Hiccup drew the arrow back slow; then stopped while the tears silently streamed down his cheeks. Hiccup hesitated on firing, but a warm, comforting came through the area and Hiccup felt it slight pressed on his shoulders.

 _Let go_.

Hiccup heard his father's voice as he shook a little.

 _Let go. I'm always with you_.

Hiccup knew he didn't imagine things; he actually heard the whisper of his father's voice in his ear. Hiccup knew that his father's body was on that pyre, but his spirit would always be beside him, and his father's memory would live on through him.

 _I love you, my son._

Everyone saw the hesitation, and Henrik was about to step forward to make sure Hiccup was alright. However, Hiccup sniffled deeply as he drew the arrow back fully to fire. "I love you too, Dad," he said it just loud enough for everyone to hear. Hiccup released the arrow as a strong wind seemed to carry it to the pyre and strike just under where Stoick's body laid. The straw and wood began to catch from the flaming arrow. Gobber, Vera, Valka, Spitelout, Snotlout, and Frida raised their arrows after lighting them, and firing just moments after Hiccup did; all of them struck the pyre as it began to burn more.

The bow dropped from Hiccup's hands as he just stood there, staring at the fire-encased pyre. "I'm sorry, Dad…I'm…Not the Chief you wanted me to be, and I'm not the peacekeeper I thought I was. I-I don't know…" he trailed off, lowering his head off to the side. Valka stepped out of line as she walked up behind her son.

"You came early into this world. You were such a wee thing, so frail; so fragile. I feared you wouldn't make it," Valka informed gently as Hiccup looked at her as she stood beside him. "But your father, he never doubted. He always said you'd become the strongest of them all," Hiccup stared, a little shocked. Valka cupped his cheek, standing in front of him now as Hiccup's breath caught in his throat. "And he was right. You know who you are; do not forget who you are, son," she slowly stepped away as Hiccup looked at the pyre again.

"I was so afraid of becoming my dad, mostly because I thought I never could. How? How do you become someone that great, that brave, that…Selfless? I guess you can only try," Hiccup took a deep breath as he used his hand to wipe both sides of his face free of tears before turning to face the Hooligans and guests with a confident look in his eyes. "I don't know what kind of Chief I'll make; I'll probably mess up a lot like I did when I was younger," he gave a half-chuckle. "I hope you won't hold it against me if I do; still learning as I go along here. But…I can tell you today that I will do my absolute best for you. My father lived and died by the words; _A Chief Protects Their Own_ , and I can promise that from today; I will live by those same words. Until I take my last breath that I vow that I will provide and protect my people with everything I've got just as my dad did," he stated.

Suddenly, someone laughed. "Just don't blow anything up with your inventions, Chief, and I think we'll all be just fine with anything you do!" The Hooligans joined in the laughter, nodding in agreement as Hiccup found a smile. As Vera was first to get to Hiccup and hug him tightly.

"I'm so proud of you, Hiccup," Vera said. Hiccup hugged her back; then they separated as Hiccup stared into her eyes and kissed her lightly.

"Thank you," Hiccup replied afterward.

"So what now?" Vera wondered.

"Well, I think I should incorporate a little of the modern customs here," Hiccup informed. "Attention…Everyone's attention please?" they began to quiet down. "Thank you. Now, in memory of my father; there will be a celebration of life party in the Great Hall at sunset. Food will be provided," he announced. More people began to cheer and start making their way off the beach as Hiccup stayed with Vera, walking beside her and a few others.

"That was very inspiring, Hiccup," Colden complimented.

"Thanks; I…Only spoke the truth. I can't promise it'll be perfect, so I'll just promise to do the best I can and keep them safe," Hiccup shrugged. This hadn't been a phenomenal day with Drago attacking, and Stoick giving his life for Hiccup. And Hiccup was sure that later on when he was alone; he would mourn more. For now; there was, in fact, much to celebrate and Hiccup was going to show the Vikings exactly how to be part of a good party.


	67. Chief & Chieftess Haddock

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Chief & Chieftess Haddock

=Vera's POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 12/14/2018-4:30 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

Today is the day. That's all I could continue thinking about as I stood in Stoick and Valka's house with my mom, Valka, Katja, Dagny, and even little Rowan Hiccup while preparing for the big event; my wedding with Hiccup. Hiccup proposed to me in November on the 22nd, yes, Thanksgiving of all days; it was just 3 weeks ago. Everyone was having a great time, Hiccup asked me to dance, and in the end; he just let me go while he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. In front of the entire Hooligan Tribe and my family who had come from Hunter Isle to join us for the holiday that Hiccup had incorporated into our lives. I was so stunned but happy, and of course; I said yes. We didn't need much to get married; just enough time to invite the other Chieftains and their families and get clothing situation. Food was no problem as it would be a feast, and the only major delicacy we insisted on having was a wedding cake.

So much has happened since September. For beginners; I'm currently about to be 25 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Hiccup and I had the option to find out if we're having a girl or boy, but I remember that Hiccup wanted to be surprised, so we decided to leave it be. Emma is doing great; she's 8 months old now and much more alert, able to hold her head up, sleeping through the night, and eating baby food while getting only a bottle 3 times a day. Also, she's starting to work out sounds to speak; so far, she's got Da and Ma down. Hiccup is super proud of her; she's very advanced for being almost a year old.

Other updates include the fact Brynjar is training with Viggo to become Chief of the Dragon Protectors. Yes, they renamed themselves since we don't hunt dragons anymore. I think they are considering to rename the island to Protector Isle, but we'll see if that comes to pass. I heard that Thuggory and Camicazi are leaders of their islands now. Thuggory is married and expecting a child. Camicazi is currently in search of the man who will get her pregnant for the next Bog Heiress-since they didn't do men on their island; it would have to be a female child. However, I do believe that rule might be changing as times themselves have changed, and I think Camicazi had feelings for someone.

Dagur is seeing Mala, Chieftess to the Defenders of the Wing Tribe, and if they marry; Dagur will move to Caldera Cay and leave Chiefdom of Berserker Island to his younger sister, Heather. Currently, both successors to the Berserker Tribe are in training for the position of Chieftain. Soren from Murderous is also in training to take over the Murderous Tribe. Eret has taken over the Wave Rider Tribe, currently looking for a wife to rule with him. That's all I know regarding the Tribes so far; I get the updates from Hiccup when things happen, or we have other events to attend.

Hiccup is discharged from the Danish Military; this happened the night of the party to honor Stoick. Einar, Askel, Sigmund, and Vidar told Hiccup that they were indebted to him for doing all the work and stopping the war that Drago was trying to begin. Also, they knew that now Hiccup was Chief; he had his own people to lead, so their gift and thanks for everything Hiccup did was that they were honorably discharging him on the grounds he did well and had bigger responsibilities to handle. Hiccup even got a medal, I think it was called; _Distinguished Service Cross_. It was for extraordinary heroism while fighting an armed enemy of Denmark.

We learned that one of Hiccup's friends is actually an Heir to one of the Chieftains. Oivind Flinvor is Alvin Ogglebert's son; it had been a one night stand many years ago. Alvin just asked Oivind who his mother was one day, and everything came out. Shocking, to say the least, but Oivind is happy to know his father and has moved to Outcast Island to learn more about the Viking way of things. Sigvard, Davyn, Jolgeir, and Eirik remain on Berk; they each have their own place to live now. Colden moved to Hunter Isle with Ander. Askel and the HQ members returned to Denmark by the end of the week after Hiccup became Chief, and Hiccup, though, discharged at the rank of First Lieutenant, promised that if they ever needed to call on him again; he would be there to help.

The Andersons have their own home, and Britta has a crush on Gustav Larsen; he's 19 years old and a mini Snotlout, but I guess he treats Britta with respect, so all that was well. Mine and Hiccup's house is finished; we've seen and been inside it. Our stuff is moved in and set up, but we have not slept in it yet; we're waiting for tonight when we consummate the marriage. I can't wait to see Hiccup in the Great Hall; the ceremony would be starting in 5 minutes. I was ready, dressed up in a mix of Viking and modern attire for the wedding. Katja was my Maid of Honor, and my father would be walking me down the aisle to Hiccup. It wouldn't be long now.

 **. . .**

=Hiccup's POV=  
 _[Berk, Archipelago; Anderson Home]_

Gods, I couldn't believe it was today. Vera and I are getting married in 5 minutes in the Great Hall in front of the Hooligans, and guests from the others Tribes. I was wearing all black pants, and boots. My shirt was gray, and the brown cloak hung from my back. After what happened with Olivia; I wasn't sure how long it would take me to ready to get married again. But Vera changed everything for me, and after the death of my father, stopping the war, and a few other things took place; it just felt right to do it. Vera was an amazing woman who was great with Emma, and there is so much more I could say, but I fear to be late for my wedding if I do.

After the celebration of life party to honor my father back in September; I took some time to mourn my dad's death. I didn't leave the island or shut anyone out, but I needed time to actually let it out. Vera was beside me for everything, and so were my family and friends. I couldn't be more grateful to them for their support. Ever since then, I've just been doing my best to be a good Chief to the Hooligans. I guess I'm doing alright; they haven't demanded my exile yet. I chuckled a little thinking of this; I was glad my tribe trusted me to keep them going after my father died. It meant more to me than any of them would ever know. At the party too; I made my announcements of who my second in command and council members would be.

"I chose Sigvard, Davyn, Eirik, Jolgier, Snotlout, and Fishlegs as my council. And my second in command is Henrik. Vera, of course, would be my Chieftess after today and the child she would give birth to in 15 weeks would be our firstborn Heir or Heiress. I honestly couldn't wait for this; it felt so right. I know my father was with me, and I believe he's the one who pushed me to ask for Vera's hand in marriage. While I was with mom cleaning out some of Dad's things in November; I found this medallion. Mom took one look at it and started crying.

 **/Flashback; 11-3-2018/**

" _I'm glad we're able to do this son. I don't think I could do it alone," Valka stated gently._

" _Me too, Mom," I replied while going through the closet. I'd packed away all the clothes, boots, smaller things my father saved over the years. I checked the top shelf and found a small chest that sat in my palm. I grabbed my pocket knife and flicked open the blade as I began to finagle with the lock. It clicked after 2 minutes, and I set the knife on the bed while opening the cover. Inside was a single bronze-colored medallion._

" _What do you have there, Hiccup?" Valka asked._

" _I found it in this chest at the back of the closet on the shelf. Not sure what it is, looks like a medallion," I shrugged while passing it to her. Moments later, I saw my mother's eyes well up with tears as she held it tenderly to her heart. "Mom…What's wrong?"_

" _Oh, son…This is a very special medallion. Your father gave this to me as a betrothal gift after the announcement of our engagement to one another had been made public. I'm…Sure you remember about how all that works," Valka said softly as I nodded. "After the wedding; it typically gets put away as the couple is no longer engaged, but married. It's been in the Haddock family for generations," she explained._

" _Wow…" I gasped._

" _I believe it's passed down since the time of your great-great-grandfather," Valka said as she saw me admiring it, then smiled a little before taking my hand and setting the medallion in my palm and closing my hand around the object. "And I believe it's only right to continue that tradition,"_

" _B-But…Mom; isn't this something you want to hold onto from dad now that he's gone?" I asked._

" _I'll always have my memories, Hiccup. You'll be marrying Vera soon, won't you? I want you to give this to her as your gift for betrothal when you ask her for her hand in marriage. And your father would want you to have it, son. Like I said; that's been passed down to each generation," Valka smiled lightly._

 _I stared at the object in my hand as I smiled. Mom was right. I was Chief now, and I'd need a wife. Of course, this wife would be the woman I'm madly in love with. Vera. And I'd said that once the war was settled and over; I would ask her to marry me. Thanksgiving was right around the corner, so what better time? Yes. I was sure of my choice; I was asking Vera to marry me in a little under two weeks._

 **/End Flashback/**

I shined up the gift the best I could and added a Gronckle Iron chain. However, there was one thing I had to do before I asked Vera; I needed to talk to her father, Ryker Grimborn. This was a tradition I learned while in Denmark from Henrik; the lover asking the father's permission to marry his daughter. Ryker and I were tense because he didn't like that Vera got pregnant with my child after only 3 months of dating. I felt like Ryker, and I needed to talk so there wouldn't be any hostility or family rifts. I went to Hunter Isle to invite Colden, Ander, Katja, Brynjar, Viggo, Kelda, Ryker, Hertha, and Brenden to join us on Berk for Thanksgiving, but then I asked if I could speak to Ryker alone about Vera. We went off, and I told him what I wanted to do.

There were a few words exchanged about Vera being his only daughter, and it's hard to let go. I explained Vera's presence in my life since the Olivia thing, disclosing everything to Ryker about how much she helped me after everything. I promised that he and his wife could see Vera any time they wanted, and didn't even need to warn me if they didn't want to. I swore I'd take care of her and our kids. We shook hands, and I got his blessing. When Thanksgiving came; I was nervous, but I knew Vera was the one for me. And the funny part, Ryker was the only one who knew what I was planning to do. Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch.

 **/Flashback; 11-22-2018/**

 _The time was about 7 pm, and everyone was in the Great Hall for the first Thanksgiving to be celebrated on Berk. I had the necklace in my pocket, and all I needed to do was wait for my perfect moment. Everyone enjoyed the dinner, and dessert; then asked me if we could keep Thanksgiving as part of our traditions. How could I say no? However, while everyone was sitting around; I decided it was time. I used my phone to change the music to something I knew Vera would love. Beauty and the Beast; it was her absolute favorite of all the Disney movies I showed her in Denmark. I turned it up as Vera began smiling and swaying to the music._

 _I approached her with my hand out. "May I have this dance, Milady?" Vera blushed as she nodded and placed her hand in mine. I gently pulled her to her feet and led her to the open area of the room. I danced around the room with her; we even started singing along to the song, which everyone loved. I heard whispers about how beautiful it looked, and was almost the spitting image of when Valka and Stoick had their first dance in front of the Tribe. From what I remembered, my mother and father fell in love defending Berk from a Berserker attack. Shortly afterward; they were betrothed and married._

 _As the song came to an end, I twirled Vera once and released her hand while dropping to one knee. Vera's turn finished as she smiled and faced me. However, seeing my position, she stared in shock._

" _Hiccup?" Vera asked._

" _I didn't know what true love and happiness were until you reminded me of who I am. You've always been at my side when it seemed the world around me was falling apart, and before I realized it; I'd fallen for you. Of all the things that have happened in my life; I no longer have a choice but to believe we're meant to be together. I want you in my life now and for the rest of our days. Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me, Vera?" I pulled out a small light blue box and opened it revealing a single, heart-shaped diamond engagement ring._

" _Oh, my…Hiccup…" Vera cried in shock and joy. I saw her smile as she nodded. "Yes…Yes, I will!" I stood up smiling as I slid the ring on her finger. Vera wrapped her arms around my neck and planted her lips on mine. I locked my arms around her waist and kissed her back. Everyone started cheering and clapping as we split apart and embraced._

" _I do have one more thing for you, call it the Viking side of this…" I pulled out the necklace. "My great-great-grandfather gave this to his betrothed, and it's been passed down each generation in my family. And now…I give it to you. After we're married; I'll put it away again, and give it to my son for when he is standing in the same position as I. This is my betrothal gift to you," I set the necklace around her neck carefully._

" _B-But I didn't get you anything," Vera said quickly._

" _Sure you did, babe. You gave me your heart. You gave me you…And you're giving me this child…You and our family is the only gift I'll ever need," I stated. Vera cried a little as she hugged me again. Yeah, this whole thing went perfectly. I couldn't wait to get married._

 **/End Flashback/**

So here we are 3 weeks later for the wedding. We decided there was no point in waiting, and why should we? Gothi is marrying us, but Gobber will be doing all the talking for her. My Best Man is Brynjar; the man is basically my brother despite the fact we're about to be in-laws. Dagny, Lilly, Britta, and Emma in Britta's arms are flower girls. Hagen, Lukas, and Rowan in Lukas's arms will be making a joint effort in carrying the rings. Gods, I couldn't wait for this.

"Son? It's time," Henrik smiled. "Not thinking of running away are you?"

"No chance; I'm right where I belong," I said confidently with a smile.

"Then let's move," Brynjar chuckled. I took a deep breath as I left the house with them to get to the Great Hall. This was it.

 **. . .**

=Normal POV=  
 _[The Great Hall]_

Hiccup arrived first and took his place at the front with Brynjar standing behind him. Everyone found their seats and things began. Flower girls first, then the ring bearers. Katja strolled in after them, taking her place. The music changed as everyone stood up for Vera to enter. Hiccup couldn't believe the sight of his bride standing at the door with her father on her right. Vera was wearing a slightly off-white dress that showed quite a bit of her chest, but not the breasts. The sleeves started at her shoulders with entirely white fur around the wrists and on the rim of the dress at the bottom. There was a gold ribbon tied around the waist with the two pieces just hanging down the center of the dress. Vera's hair was French-braided down her back, and on her head was a silver bridal crown decorated with blue flowers. Around her neck hung the betrothal necklace I'd given her, and in her left hand that rested in front of her 22 weeks pregnant belly was a small bouquet of 5 red roses.

Ryker was dressed in all black; the man looked like he was going to a funeral. For him, this probably was similar as he was losing his daughter in a way. Hiccup wouldn't knock it because he'd do the same thing when Emma got older and ended up married. Ryker walked Vera towards Hiccup; he kissed Vera's cheek and set her hand in Hiccup's before going to sit with his family. The rest of the crowd sat too.

"Are we ready?" Gobber asked.

"We are," Vera and Hiccup said together.

"Right to it then!" Gobber smiled. "We're gathered here today unite Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third of Berk and Vera Verity Grimborn of Hunter's Isle in marriage. If anyone objects this union…Well, I would just keep your mouth shut because you'll be dealing with Toothless, Lightheart, and Moodscale…" the 3 dragons at the back of the room growled together. Yep, nobody was going to challenge that. Gothi whacked Gobber with her staff. "What? You know it's true. Heck, I wouldn't let anyone object either…Got more than enough people who agree with me," Gothi hit him again.

"Fine, fine…" Gobber mumbled. "Violent little woman…" he added. "Let's get married, shall we? Hiccup, I know you already said ladies first," the man stated as Hiccup and Vera faced one another. "Vera, do you take Hiccup to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in happy and sad times from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do," Vera replied.

"Chief Hiccup, do you take Vera to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold through sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in happy and sad times from this day forward until death do you part?" Gobber asked.

"I do," Hiccup responded smiling.

"The rings, please?" Gobber asked as Brynjar handed two silver bands to Gobber's one good hand. "Vera," he said as Vera took the larger ring and held Hiccup's left hand with hers. "Repeat after me; _As this ring has no end, neither will my love for you_ ,"

Vera slid the ring onto Hiccup's finger. "As this ring has no end, neither will my love for you,"

"Hiccup?" Gobber said as Hiccup took the band from him.

"As this ring has no end, neither will my love for you," Hiccup said while sliding the ring into place on Vera's left-hand ring finger before Gobber began.

"Before these witnesses; you have vowed and exchanged rings. By the power vested in me, granted by the Chief of Berk; I now pronounce you husband and wife," Gobber smiled as Gothi nodded in approval and motioned with her hands for them to come together.

"I don't need a translator to tell me what that signal was…" Hiccup smiled as he pulled Vera close and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss.

"Hooligan Tribe and other honored guests in attendance; I give you the Chief & Chieftess Haddock of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe to Berk!" Gobber called out. Everyone jumped up cheering and hollering as Hiccup and Vera broke the kiss, facing everyone.

"Party time!" Hiccup announced with a broad smile as Vera leaned her head on his shoulder. It was going to be one hell of a night for sure.


	68. Years To Come

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Years To Come

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 12/14/2018-5:00 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

The ceremony had been perfect and quick; just as Hiccup and Vera had wanted. It left more time to enjoy the overall party. After being pronounced husband and wife; Hiccup and Vera had pictures done. The two didn't do a lot of them since there would be pictures taken all night long, but they did want the memories of today hung in frames all over their home. Pictures taken were of them first, then adding in family and friends. With that taken care of, Hiccup and Vera were ready for their first dance as husband and wife. Everyone seemed to be having a good time so far. Hiccup noticed a few people interacting with one another which he felt could possibly turn into much more.

The most shocking was Astrid hitting it off well with Brynjar; Hiccup had seen them talking a lot over the last few months when Brynjar came to visit Berk. Ruffnut and Eret seemed to be getting closer too. Tuffnut had a thing for Camicazi, and Hiccup believed that Tuffnut was the one Camicazi had feelings for, which is why Camicazi wanted to change the rules of the Bog-Burglars being an all-female Tribe. Fishlegs had a huge crush on Heather, but very shy about it. Although, it seemed Heather was well aware and returned Fishlegs's feelings even if the two hadn't confessed yet. Hiccup had a feeling that if the two ended up together, and the possibility of marriage arose; Hiccup would have to let Fishlegs leave as one of his council members and put someone else in his place.

Snotlout didn't seem to be getting close to anyone besides Ragna Falk, first Heiress to the Lava-Louts. And Hiccup already knew that his younger sister, Britta, had a thing for Gustav Larsen. Hiccup took the liberty of warning Gustav that if he ever hurt Britta; Hiccup would hurt him indefinitely. Gustav only nodded and promised he'd behave. Ander and Katja were, of course, dating already, but Hiccup and Vera both had a feeling it wouldn't stay that way for much longer; the two of them were very much in love. Also, Ander loved Katja's children, and they loved him; Ander treated them as if they were his own.

The plan for the rest of the evening was to have the first dance, dinner, then special dances like mother/son, father/daughter. Following that would likely be cake; then garter and bouquet tosses. The ending of the night would probably be more dancing for anyone who wanted to and just chatting it up with friends and family.

"Babe, we should do our dance now," Vera said to Hiccup gently.

"Sure thing," Hiccup smiled as he kissed her cheek. Jolgeir was managing the music as Hiccup strolled up to him.

"Hey, Hic," Jolgeir greeted with a smile. "Ready for me to kick it up and party like we know how to do best?"

Hiccup laughed a little. "Not quite, bud. My wife and I would like to do our first dance as husband and wife, please?"

"No problem. Got it right here at the top of the special dances playlist," Jolgeir gave him a thumbs up. Hiccup nodded as he went to stand with Vera again. "Alright, Hooligans and guests. We ask that you clear the floor so that the Chief and his new wife can share their first dance," Jolgeir announced. Slowly, everyone began to move back to their seats as Hiccup left Vera to the middle of the room.

The music began gently, but that was the fun part as people noticed. There were no lyrics heard with the tune.

" _From this moment; life has begun,"_ Vera started singing.

" _From this moment; you are the one,"_ Hiccup began after her.

" _Right beside you is where I belong. From this moment on,"_ Hiccup and Vera sang together softly. Now everyone understood; Hiccup and Vera chose their song but decided to sing it to one another. And why not? It was their wedding, and both Hiccup and Vera sang exceptionally well.

" _From this moment; I have been blessed. I live only for your happiness. And for your love; I'd give my last breath. From this moment on…"_ the newlyweds continued while moving around the open dance space together; their eyes never looking away from one another. It was the same look from where everything began in February; that's how everyone knew that Hiccup and Vera were meant to be.

" _I give my hand to you with all my heart. I can't wait to live my life with you; I can't wait to start. You and I will never be apart. My dreams came true because of you,"_ Hiccup and Vera smiled. _"From this moment; as long as I live, I will love you. I promise you this; there is nothing I wouldn't give, from this moment on!"_

" _You're the reason I believe in love. And you're the answer to my prayers from up above. All we need is just the two of us. My dreams came true because of you…"_ there was a pause as they took a breath. _"From this moment!"_ they sang louder. _"As long as I live, I will love you. I promise you this; there is nothing I wouldn't give. From this moment…"_

Things got slower and gentler again. _"I will love you…"_ Vera sang along.

" _I will love you,"_ Hiccup repeated lovingly.

" _As long as I live…From this moment on…"_ Hiccup and Vera finished together, smiling as Hiccup pulled Vera against him and kissed her deeply. Everyone cheered and clapped for the display. Hiccup and Vera were still standing and basically making out.

"Hey, hey! Come on…You two have all night to enjoy each other!" Ryker said quickly.

"Ryker, leave them alone; it's their wedding," Hertha and Kelda glared. Reluctantly, Hiccup and Vera broke the kiss slowly.

"All night indeed," Vera grinned.

"Enjoy each other's company for sure," Hiccup agreed.

Ryker's left eye twitched almost. "You know what they're gonna do, Uncle Ryker, and it's not like it's the first time," Katja giggled.

"That is entirely beside the point! They don't need to make it public knowledge!" Ryker argued.

"Uh, isn't that how the Chief beds his wife on their wedding night anyway?" Camicazi asked. "At least that's what I remember from Chieftess training. All new upcoming or new Chieftains have sex in front of the village,"

"Do we still do that?" Brenna blinked.

"I didn't have to," Thuggory informed. "Dad said it was acceptable that just six witnesses were in the house when we did it, and that was legitimate enough for them,"

"I don't think we ever discussed this matter," Vera admitted.

"Murderous Tribe still does it; Dad believes in the old way," Soren stated.

"Bashem did it," Magnilda added.

"Waterlands did in the past, but I won't," Eret informed.

"Bog still does it, but I feel I have to agree with Hiccup from back in Denmark that it should be kept private," Camicazi remarked.

"Same," Signy nodded.

"Agreed," Brenna said.

"I never did, but Outcasts don't follow the rules anyway. Hence the name The Outcasts," Alvin chuckled.

"Thank Odin…" Oivind breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hysteria never did it," Natalie interjected.

"Neither did Shivering Shores," Gala stated firmly.

"Lava-Lout doesn't care; to each their own," Ragna shrugged.

"Visithug used to, but we changed the rule to whatever the couple wanted," Magnor added now.

"Seems that is the general consensus now," Heather said softly. "Whatever the couple wants to do,"

"So the choice is up to you and your wife, son," Valka stepped up beside him. "Berk always followed the laws established by the first Viking Council back in the dawn of the Viking Age," Hiccup looked at Vera now.

"What do you want to do?" Hiccup asked gently.

"Well…Sex in front of everyone is a little…Nerve-wracking in my opinion. I never agreed with it long before the changes started occurring," Vera said looking at her husband.

"We can just go to the house and be alone; it's not like I'm aiming to get you pregnant tonight since you already are. We don't have to prove successor legitimacy, nor do I have to knock you up. It's just us making love, so whatever you wanna do; I'm good with," Hiccup said.

"Do you care if people see you?" Vera inquired.

"After Basic Training in the Army, no. If I can stand naked in a room full of men; I can be nude and making love to my wife wherever," Hiccup reminded. "I have no shame in my body despite the fact I'm a twig,"

"Thick twig…" Brynjar muttered as Oivind, Jolgeir, Davyn, Eirik, Sigvard, and Ander nodded in agreement.

"Lean figured, but still packing some muscle," Sigvard chuckled.

"I was raised to respect traditions, but I don't agree with the full reveal in front of everyone," Vera stated.

"Then we'll just do it in the house, babe," Hiccup smiled.

"At the same time; I'd love for you to show everyone how you give me a good time," Vera giggled a little.

"Well, how about this then; we'll set a tent up in the village square and do it there. Everyone can see our shadows, but we're still covered? Fair?" Hiccup suggested.

"Oh, I like that. Do it," Vera nodded.

"This could be fun…" Dagur chuckled. "You a thick twig in all areas, Chief Hiccup?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Hiccup huffed. He knew they were all under the assumption that because Hiccup was considered a runt; he would have a small dick. "I guess you'll find out later, won't you?"

"Should be a short event, not much goes into this thing," Tantrum, UG's daughter reminded.

"That's the way you know; just intercourse and call it done. Hiccup and I don't do that, and we can go for hours," Vera said in a matter of fact tone. "And for the record," she paused and grinned at the other males. "I don't know how all you boys measure up, but my husband keeps a dragon that never misses its target hidden in his pants," the males had nothing to say, and poor Ryker looked like he was going to faint. Hiccup chuckled a little; he wouldn't have described his cock that way, but if that's what his wife thought of it; he wouldn't argue. Hiccup pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

"Seems like Hiccup is a runt, but hung like a Viking," Hertha giggled.

"Hertha!" Ryker paled.

"What? Just going off what our daughter says," Hertha informed.

"He must get that vastness from his father," Valka joined in.

"MOTHER!" Hiccup paled.

"Just speaking the truth, son," Valka shrugged.

Viggo patted Ryker's shoulder a few times. "At least you know Vera is fully satisfied and taken care of. Bad sex is grounds for divorce," Viggo began to laugh as Kelda smacked Viggo's arm playfully, trying not to laugh with Brenden, Katja, and Brynjar. Viggo and Kelda was another couple that had developed; they got together in October, just dating, but very possible for another wedding to be coming up soon.

"VIGGO! Not. Helping!" Ryker growled.

"It's alright, big brother…Above all else; your daughter is happy," Viggo calmed down. Ryker sighed.

"Yes, that's true," Ryker nodded.

"This conversation has seriously derailed," Hiccup sighed heavily.

"Couldn't agree more," Ryker said.

"Alright…That's enough talk about all this; it's a party to celebrate the marriage among family and friends," Hiccup stated. "And on that note, let's eat," he announced.

"Woo!" people cheered more.

 **. . .**

 _ **[6:10 pm]**_

Dinner was over, and everyone continued to stand around and chat. Hiccup still couldn't get over what the simple conversation earlier turned into, but hey; he wasn't ashamed of his body. Maybe Hiccup didn't think he had a big dick as Vera described, but he wasn't going to make a big deal out of things. Right now, everyone was just having a good time.

"This is nice," Vera said to Hiccup as they sat at the head table; Hiccup was in his Chieftain chair, which was Stoick's. And Vera was next to Hiccup on his left.

"I agree," Hiccup nodded. "You sure you're up for sex in the tent later?"

"Unless you wanna change your mind?" Vera inquired.

"Doesn't matter to me," Hiccup smiled. "But, perhaps we can just blow through the tent event fast; then take our time in our home afterward?" he suggested.

"What do you mean?" Vera wondered.

"Well, the tradition was intercourse before you all learned about foreplay and stuff. So, what if we do that; right into the intercourse? And then we'll get dressed and go to our house and enjoy the night to ourselves without them all just gathering around to listen and watch?" Hiccup asked.

"I kind'a like the idea of us making love alone in the house," Vera nodded. "So just right into the screwing; then when everyone clears out for bed, we go to the house and take our time?"

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded.

"Works for me. Yeah, let's do that," Vera smiled. "We should get to our special dances," she added. "How are we doing them again?"

"Wasn't it you with our dads? Me with our moms?" Hiccup stated.

"Ah, right," Vera said. "Shall we get that going then? I really want cake," she giggled.

"Cravings?" Hiccup asked.

"You know it," Vera blushed. Oh, yes; Vera had pregnancy cravings, and like a good soon to be father, Hiccup always met every single one of them no matter the time of day or night.

"Well, how about you go first with your song chosen for a dance with Ryker, Henrik, and Gobber. After that; I will have my dance with my two moms and yours," Hiccup suggested. Vera nodded as Hiccup went over to inform Jolgeir of the plan.

"No prob, Chief," Jolgeir informed. "Hooligans and guests, at this time; the bride and groom will have their special dances. First up is Vera with her father, Henrik, and Gobber," he announced.

"Us?" Henrik and Gobber blinked.

"Of course. Henrik is Hiccup's adopted father and Gobber…You practically raised Hiccup in Stoick's absence. It was fitting that I dance with the other two male figures in his life," Vera said as she went to Ryker first. "Daddy? Will you dance with me?"

"Certainly," Ryker stood up. The dance began, and after the first chorus; Vera switched to dance with Henrik. Towards the end, Vera danced with Gobber. When it was over, she took her seat as Hiccup nodded to Jolgeir to set up the next songs.

"And now the Chief will share a dance with his two mothers, and mother in law," Jolgeir smiled. Hiccup went to Valka first, leading her onto the dance floor.

"Oh, my. You dance as divinely as your father did," Valka said as Hiccup danced with her for the first minute or so through the song playing. Following this was Hiccup dancing with Mari, and then Hertha. By 6:30 pm; the dancing was finished. The last dance to be shared was between Hiccup, Vera, and Emma in their arms; it was a family moment between just them. Things moved into having cake by 6:45 pm. Hiccup and Vera cut a piece for them to share, and they both ended up smashing one small bit in each other's faces as a joke but kissed and then moved to enjoy their cake at the table while the rest was handed out.

This was a quieter moment for everyone, light conversation, and laughter. By 7:15 pm; it was time for the garter removal and toss, followed by the bouquet being thrown. Hiccup was all slow, smooth, and sexy about removing the garter around Vera's thigh; he did it with his mouth.

"That is entirely uncalled for!" Ryker went to charge in, but Colden, Ander, Brynjar, and Viggo stopped him as Hiccup held the garter in his hand, chuckling a bit.

"Yet all of you are ready to stand outside around a tent to watch Vera, and I have sex. I'm feeling like what I did was fine compared to that," Hiccup smiled. "Alright! All single men to the center. If you aren't married; let's move it," not understanding, but curious; the group began to form. "Now this is a little modern tradition. This is called a garter toss, what I'm gonna do is throw this towards the group before me. Whoever catches it, holds on to it because it's part of something else. Ready?"

"Yeah!" the males called. Hiccup stood before them, closed his eyes and set his fingers up to fling the garter across to the group. There was some shoving and struggling, but Brynjar had jumped off one of the tables, over the group, and rolled to his feet; then revealing he'd caught the garter.

"Alright, Bryn…Off to the side for now, and the rest of you can sit down while all the single ladies come up," Hiccup announced. Soon, the women were up as Vera stood where Hiccup had been holding her bouquet. "Same deal, whoever catches, hold onto it," Hiccup said. Vera turned her back, closed her eyes, and hurled the bouquet over her head towards the girls. Astrid was the one to reach up and catch it first. Vera smiled and went to sit down as Hiccup grabbed the chair Vera had been sitting in.

"Now, the tradition is whoever catches the garter and bouquet are the next people to be married. Or so the theory goes. Astrid, have a seat," Hiccup motioned to the chair. Astrid did so, blushing a little knowing that Brynjar was the one who caught the garter, and she, the bouquet. "Bryn?" Brynjar walked up smiling.

"I, uh…The tradition is that I-I put this on your leg. Do I…Have your permission? I really don't wanna get killed by your father, or mother…" Brynjar asked.

"Go ahead," Astrid nodded softly. Brynjar knelt down as he lifted Astrid's leg and carefully slid the garter on, but only up to her knee. Brynjar pulled Astrid to her feet and planted a light kiss on her cheek. The two of them headed off to their seats or to talk, Hiccup wasn't sure.

"That about wraps things up tradition-wise," Vera giggled as she held Hiccup's hand.

"All that's left is partying a bit longer, and then us consummating things," Hiccup replied.

"When do we wanna do that?" Vera questioned.

"Well, it's about 7:15 pm now…What do you say we do it for 8:30-9ish?" Hiccup suggested.

"Works for me; it'll be early to do the tent thing, and then we have the rest of our night to ourselves," Vera smiled.

"And then we're taking a little vacation," Hiccup informed as Vera blinked.

"We are?" Vera asked.

"Remember, I told you about honeymoons? I'm taking you to the states; we're going to Disney World in Florida," Hiccup said as Vera's eyes widened.

"WE'RE GOING WHERE?!" Vera exclaimed, suddenly very happy. "Really?! Are you serious?"

"Milady, do I ever lie?" Hiccup smiled.

"You're taking me to Florida?! To Disney World!" Vera said happily, gripping Hiccup's arms.

"Didn't you say you wanted to go?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, yes! But I didn't think we'd get to with everything going on, and you being Chief now. Or me being pregnant…We're really going?!" Vera screeched with joy.

"Henrik is going to be watching the village with Gobber and Spitelout's help. You can still fly up until 27 weeks pregnant, and as long as we stay on the slow rides; the baby will be fine. The dragons have to stay here, though. The US isn't ready for them yet," Hiccup smiled. Vera jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly. "We take a seaplane to Denmark tomorrow morning at 9 am; then we catch a flight to the US from there at 11:30 am. We're staying for a week," Hiccup added. "Our first official day is on the 16th, then we stay until the 23rd to travel back here and enjoy Snoggletog,"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Vera repeated.

"You're welcome," Hiccup kissed her gently. "My wedding gift to you, Love," Vera couldn't believe it; Hiccup was taking her out of the country to see the one place she hoped she would get to visit after discovering what Disney World was. Vera couldn't wait, and honestly, neither could Hiccup. 7 days alone with his new wife. This was just the start too; they knew there would be many more amazing days and years to come ahead of them.


	69. Magical

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Magical

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Friday, 12/14/2018-8:45 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

The party was going great, but Vera and Hiccup were ready to start the rest of their wedding celebrations in private. Vera, of course, made this known to Hiccup by nudging into him and looking up into his eyes; Hiccup understand without any words needing to be exchanged. Hiccup nodded as he moved to his Chief chair and tried to settling everyone down. This didn't happen, so Hiccup looked at his dragon.

"Toothless? A little help here?" Hiccup asked. The Night Fury raised his head and let out a loud roar, effectively silencing the room. "Thanks, bud. Wife is ready to call it a night as we have a busy day of traveling tomorrow, so those of you watching the _public_ consummation, make your way outside. And only if you're over 18," he informed. Hiccup moved beside Vera; he carefully lifted her into his arms bridal style with surprising ease and carried her outside, down the steps and all the way to the town center.

"So…Where's the tent or you change your minds and decide to let us see?" Thuggory asked.

"I still gotta set it up, so chill," Hiccup set Vera down carefully. "Be right back," Hiccup placed his fingers to the corners of his mouth and whistled. Toothless rushed to his side as Hiccup threw his legs over and the Night Fury took him to his house. Hiccup grabbed a few things and returned holding a square-shaped cloth bag in his hand. Hiccup set everything up, revealing a cabin-like tent that stood about 8 feet tall. Hiccup added in some blankets and sleeping pads before coming out. "Done," he said by 9:15 pm.

"Wow…It's just like a house," Vera blinked a few times.

"My wife deserves only the best of my ideas," Hiccup smiled. "Ready?"

"Always. You know how horny I get now that I'm pregnant," Vera nodded as Hiccup unzipped the entrance and Hiccup offered his hand to her.

"Then I'll give you a night you'll never forget," Hiccup promised.

"It's our wedding night; it's already something I'll never forget," Vera smiled as she set her hand in his, then Hiccup led Vera inside the tent, then zipped the door closed and went around to all the windows and zipped them a little over halfway to make sure there was a good airflow through the tent.

"Toothless, Lightheart, Moodscale…Guard," Hiccup called from within. The 3 dragons Hiccup called positioned themselves near the two windows and one door. "That's so you perverts can't come near the tent and peek into the windows," he chuckled a little. Inside, Hiccup looked at Vera; this would be a quick session for them, and then they'd take more time to make love after when everyone cleared out of the square.

"Should we even bother getting fully undressed?" Vera whispered. "I could just hike up the dress,"

"Nah, they're watching and looking for it, so let's give them a show," Hiccup chuckled. Vera nodded with a smile as Hiccup pulled her close against his frame and leaned in to capture her lips with his.

 **(Lemon Start)**

As agreed, this would be a quick fuck for them, and then when everyone left the area; they would go to their new home and make love there. Hiccup and Vera quickly started on making out with one another as Hiccup backed her up to where they would be laying down. Vera's first move was to unclip Hiccup's cloak and let it fall to the ground. Hiccup reached up and removed the bridal tiara, setting it down carefully before returning to kiss his wife. Hiccup worked the ties of the dress until it loosened a bit. Vera took off Hiccup's belt, then his shirt. Hiccup slid the dress off of Vera's shoulders, down her arms, and then the rest was loose and hit the ground around her feet. Hiccup unclipped the bra as Vera kicked off her shoes and socks. Vera pulled the strings to Hiccup's pants and shimmied them down along with his boxers.

Hiccup carefully laid Vera down with him on top of her, being careful of her stomach. Hiccup captured her lips once more, making out for a minute before Hiccup's lips moved to her neck.

"O-Oh…" Vera moaned. Hiccup trailed his kisses down her chest, placing one on each breast as his hand moved lower to massage her pussy. "Ah, Hiccup…!" she gasped. Hiccup slid two fingers in and began pumping them in and out. "S-So good…" Hiccup kept this up a few moments before scooting lower to put his head at Vera's womanhood; he licked up to her clit and teased it with his tongue.

"What is he doing!" Ryker asked.

"I think Hiccup says he calls this foreplay," Fishlegs interjected. "Draws things out longer and adds extra pleasure using his hands and mouth on Vera's…Sensitive parts," Hiccup ignored what they were saying outside. Hiccup kept up his actions as Vera was breathing hard.

"Hi-Hiccup…I'll cum…." Vera gripped the blankets under her body. Hiccup didn't cease as Vera tried to close her legs, but Hiccup's positioning between them wouldn't allow her to. "Ah…Hiccup! I'm cumming!" Vera arched a little and squirted. Hiccup removed his fingers and pulled back his mouth while Vera panted. "N-Not wh-what we…agreed…"

"All is fair in love and war, Milady," Hiccup reminded. "I was just giving you a little warm up, babe," he added. "Ready for the rest?" Vera nodded to him with a smile.

"Oh, my! She peaked and released already…" Bertha blinked.

"Of course," Kelda informed. "Women can achieve multiple orgasms if the man knows what he's doing,"

"Hiccup knows what he's doing," Davyn, Eirik, Jolgeir, Sigvard, Brynjar, Ander, and Oivind stated together.

Hiccup tried not to laugh at the conversations going on outside of the tent; his focus was his wife. Hiccup was already erect and on his knees as Vera reached her hand up and started stroking him lightly. "Wow. Vera wasn't joking…" he heard as Vera and Hiccup tried not to make any remarks now. Hiccup forgot that the lighting in the tent was positioned to give everyone outside a perfect shadow of them inside.

"Hiccup keeps a dragon hidden in his pants…" got commented and Toothless growled, which told Hiccup that someone tried to get closer to the tent.

"The average male is about 5 ½ to 6 inches while hard," Colden informed.

"Hiccup is 7 ½ to 8 inches; it really depends on how horny he is," Vera stated with a smirk from inside as Hiccup only smiled as he leaned down and kissed her again. "I love you, Hiccup Haddock,"

"And I you, Vera Haddock," Hiccup replied. "Ready?"

"I am," Vera said as Hiccup held himself and moved towards Vera's entrance. After poking it a few times; he just pushed right in as Vera moaned out. "Oh, Gods yes!" Hiccup smiled as he started rocking his hips at a steady pace while holding her hips. "Mmm…More…" Hiccup started moving faster. "Ha-Harder, Hiccup…" Hiccup adjusted himself and began to push in harder and faster for her. "F-Fuck…" Vera breathed out. "I-I'm already close again…" she whimpered a little.

"So don't hold back," Hiccup said gently. Vera's walls tightened around his cock as he groaned a bit. "Damn…That feels good," he continued thrusting. After 5 minutes, Vera pulled Hiccup down to kiss him. The adjustment made it so Hiccup could rock into her deeper and she raked her nails across his back. "Ow! Easy on the back…" he hissed.

"Sorry…Ca-Can't help it…Feels s-so good…Close…" Vera panted. Hiccup continued his actions, sitting back up on his knees after another 2 minutes. "Ah…Hiccup…I'm cumming!" Vera arched again as she released and moaned.

"That's two…Wanna go for three?" Hiccup asked with a smile.

"Only…If you cum this time too…I wanna get back to the house; the flat ground is starting to be uncomfortable," Vera informed. Hiccup nodded, understanding that she wanted to wanted to continue all this in their home.

"Well, let's finish this up then," Hiccup said as he pulled Vera closer, and pushed her thighs carefully upward, holding the undersides. Hiccup began thrusting hard, fast, and deep right away.

"Dear Odin above!" Vera cried out in pleasure. "Mmm! Hiccup…Fuck…S-So good!"

"Yeah, it fucking is…" Hiccup groaned. 8 minutes of this before Vera tightened and Hiccup felt his release sneak up on him. "Ver…I'm gonna cum," he panted.

"M-Me too…I-I'm right there…" Vera panted. Hiccup began going faster, the sounds of slapping flesh together filled the area. "Ah…Ah…Hiccup…"

"Do it…C-Cum…" Hiccup told her. "Fuck…I'm cumming!" he thrust in again, releasing quickly. Vera gripped Hiccup's arms tightly, also cumming. The two breathed hard, panting. Hiccup lowered Vera's legs as they let their orgasms wash over them. After a few minutes, they kissed a few times. Hiccup pulled out gently afterward and smiled.

 **(Lemon End)**

"L-Let's get home," Vera said quietly.

"Here," Hiccup grabbed his fur cloak and wrapped her up in it. "I'll carry you to the house," he offered while pulling up his boxers. Vera wrapped herself to be concealed as Hiccup shut the light off, then Hiccup unzipped the tent first; the lifted Vera up lightly into his arms before walking out.

"Where you two goin'?" Spitelout asked.

"Tradition says you spend the night in there," Madguts remarked.

"Excuse me, who is Chief of this island?" Hiccup asked.

"You…" a few said.

"The tradition is we spend the night together in the same bed; it does not specify the center of the village. The ground is too uncomfortable for Vera to stay on while she's 5 months pregnant, so I'm taking her to the house," Hiccup informed. "We did our part and had sex out here, so lay off. Everyone get to your homes, this night is over," he added firmly while carrying a somewhat tired looking Vera towards the house with the dragons following. "Goodnight," he said.

"Look at the marks on his back…"

"Poor Vera can't even walk…"

"She can walk fine; I'm carrying her because she's not wearing anything under my cloak," Hiccup retorted. "Second time. Goodnight,"

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:40 pm]  
**_ _[House of Hiccup & Vera Haddock]_

Getting upstairs to their bedroom, Hiccup laid Vera down gently as the cloak was shifted off to the side. "You sure you wanna go again?" Hiccup asked.

"Make love to me," Vera placed her hands on his cheeks. Hiccup smiled as he leaned in and kissed his wife again, needing nothing else. Hiccup quickly got out of his underwear and laid over Vera carefully.

 **(Lemon Start)**

The making out started almost instantly and lasted a few minutes before Hiccup's lips moved to Vera's neck. "Oh, Hiccup…" Vera moaned gently. Hiccup continued his actions and trailing the kisses lower to her breasts. Hiccup held both, massaging them lightly and sucking on one after a minute or two. After that, he switched to do the same to the other side. Vera's hands lightly moved along Hiccup's arms and shoulders until Hiccup started to move lower. Instantly, Hiccup dove right into eating Vera out. "Gods yes…" she breathed out.

Hiccup was gentle, slow, and making sure to touch every bit of her pussy with his mouth and tongue. Hiccup continued this for 5 minutes before focusing on just her clitoris and using his hand to massage. Hiccup slipped in his two fingers and began pumping them slowly. 2 minutes later, he started going faster and hard. "Hiccup…Mmm," Vera moaned. These actions kept up for another 3-5 minutes; Hiccup normally would have made her cum already, but it was their wedding night, so he was taking his time.

"G-Gonna…cum again…" Vera panted lightly.

"Cum for me," Hiccup said. Not more than a minute later after Hiccup curved his fingers, Vera released for the 4th time tonight. Hiccup pulled back his mouth and fingers, sitting up a little and smiling as Vera caught her breath; she sat up and kissed Hiccup deeply before starting to stroke his hardened length in her hand. "Gods…Your touch is incredible…" he moaned a little.

"Lay down," Vera told him. Hiccup did so as Vera crawled over him and continued the movements with her hand, up and down on Hiccup's cock. Hiccup relaxed to let his wife do her thing, and he loved it. Vera lowered her mouth after 2 minutes, beginning to lick around the head and suck on Hiccup's length.

"Mmm…You're so good at this…" Hiccup complimented. Vera liked hearing it, considering he was the first person she'd ever done such a thing with, and they'd only been together 7 months and started doing things like this long before they even began dating. Vera kept sucking and stroking, each movement bringing Hiccup closer to another climax. At the start of 3 minutes in of doing both actions; Hiccup's cock twitched in her mouth. "V-Ver…I'm gonna cum," he warned. Vera stayed in place as Hiccup gripped the bed a bit and came in her mouth. Vera stopped stroking but licked him clean before moving back and swallowing with a smile.

Hiccup sat up now, pulling her in for a hard kiss. Hiccup adjusted to lay Vera back down and him over her; his tip poking her entrance before he finally pushed in fast. Vera gripped his arms at the sudden feeling of Hiccup filling her core, but she relaxed with a smile, and they continued kissing as Hiccup started rocking his hips back and forth. "Hiccup…Oh…Yes," Vera moaned. "Faster…" she asked. Hiccup did as requested as Vera moaned out again.

"Gods…" Hiccup moaned as well, still thrusting. 10 minutes in and Hiccup shifted to be on his knees and rocking his hips harder. Following this after 5 or so minutes; Hiccup ended up lifting Vera and pressing her against the wall, thrusting upward into her core.

Vera held Hiccup tightly, moaning out louder. Neither one of them caring that people were still away and the windows were open. Hiccup kept this up for 4 minutes before shifting and laying down on the bed, allowing Vera to ride him for a bit. Vera did this about 10 minutes before there was another switch to Vera and Hiccup on their sides and Hiccup thrusting from behind. After only 3 minutes, Hiccup was on his knees between her legs, holding one of them up as Vera was still on her side and him rocking his hips into her.

"Hiccup…Fuck…S-So good," Vera breathed hard. 7 minutes more and Vera turned so she was on her hands and knees with Hiccup pounding into her and Vera crying out in absolute pleasure, begging for more from her husband. As much as they wanted to make things last all night; they did have a flight to Denmark in the morning, and then further on to the United States for the week-long honeymoon. "A-Almost there…" Vera panted. Hiccup pulled out, causing Vera to whimper. Hiccup laid her on her back and got her legs draped over his arms as he pushed in again. "Yes!" Vera threw her head back.

"I'm not gonna last much longer…" Hiccup grunted.

"I-It's okay…Me either…Cum together?" Vera asked.

"Wouldn't have it any other way…" Hiccup smiled as he lowered her legs and leaned forward to kiss her again, still rocking his hips.

"Hiccup…I-I'm…C-Cumming!" Vera's wall tightened around him. It sent Hiccup over the edge.

"Shit…Me to! Fuck…Vera!" Hiccup released instantly.

"Hiccup!" Vera came as well. The two laid there, riding out their orgasms.

 **(Lemon End)**

Hiccup pulled out of his wife after 5 minutes of just laying there, breathing hard, and letting the feeling wash over them. Hiccup and Vera had shared a few kisses between them as the feeling rippled through their bodies, but now, it was time to clean up and get some much-needed sleep. Hiccup grabbed his boxers, not caring if they got dirty since he would be showering in the morning before they left. Hiccup let Vera wipe up first, then himself. Hiccup used the bathroom before climbing into bed next to Vera, but she ended up getting up to use the restroom too.

Afterward, Vera laid down in Hiccup's arms as they snuggled up and kissed again. "Thank you, Vera," Hiccup said.

"For what, babe?" Vera wondered.

"Everything. You healed my heart after Olivia broke it, you reminded me that no matter what I do or where I go; I'm always going to be a Vikings. You showed me that it was alright to be myself…You gave me your heart, and you've been protecting mine. You gave me your love, you're giving me this baby, you married me…Just…Thank you, for everything," Hiccup smiled.

"You're welcome," Vera replied. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too, Vera," Hiccup kissed her again, then a few smaller ones before they relaxed. "Let's get some sleep," Vera nodded as she yawned and closed her eyes. Not long after, both of them drifted fast to sleep knowing that tonight was not only unforgettable, but magical too.


	70. Keep Moving On

**In Order To Survive**

 **Rated;** M for Mature **  
Pairing;** Hiccup X Vera[OC] **  
Disclaimer;** I do not own How To Train Your Dragon, movies or books. Everything belongs to Dreamworks or Cressida Cowell

Keep Moving On

=Normal POV=  
 _ **[Tuesday, 12/25/2018- 3 pm]  
**_ _[Isle of Berk, Archipelago]_

The honeymoon was amazing, and nothing went wrong. Hiccup and Vera left on the morning of the 15th and returned in the afternoon on the 23rd. Henrik was left in charge of the Hooligans, Gobber and Spitelout helped him out if he was unsure of something. All the guests from other islands left by 9 am on the 15th, shortly after Hiccup and Vera did. Toothless, Lightheart and Moodscale stayed behind while Hiccup and Vera took a seaplane to Denmark; then from Copenhagen Airport to Frankfurt in Germany, and then onto Orlando Florida. It was a long trip, and when they arrived at their hotel, which was just 10 minutes from Disney World; the two just got ready for bed and slept the remainder of the time. The trip was perfect, and Vera loved everything they got to enjoy while in Disney World. Hiccup took her to every park, and they rode on everything that was safe for a 5-month pregnant woman to be on. It was an unforgettable trip, but Hiccup and Vera were happy to be home on the 23rd.

The first thing they did was get some sleep upon returning. On the 24th, Hiccup was happy to see everything already for Snoggletog. But today was Snoggletog, and as happy as he felt he should be; he was actually pretty sad. Waking up this morning, Hiccup used the bathroom, showered, got dressed, and took his usual flight with Toothless. Lightheart and Toothless had actually just gotten back on the 24th in the morning and Hiccup was happy to see two eggs with them. Lightheart carried one, and Toothless, the other. The first thing Hiccup noticed is that these eggs were placed at Berk's highest peak in a small nest that Lightheart guarded and Toothless would check in like the worried expectant, first-time father he was. Hiccup couldn't blame him; he did the same thing with Vera. But today, Hiccup wasn't feeling happy even though he should.

So he didn't get why he was upset, at least not until Toothless and Hiccup flew over the beach and saw the grave marker for his father. Then it hit Hiccup hard; this was his first Snoggletog since being back on Berk. Hiccup was married with one daughter, and another child on the way. Hiccup had his friends, the Tribe, even his mother. And Hiccup was the Chief…But it didn't erase that his father wasn't with him this time. Hiccup sat on Toothless most of the morning, and by breakfast; Hiccup hadn't returned. In fact, Henrik was asked to announce that Hiccup wanted to be left alone. It was Vera who figured out what had been bothering Hiccup when saw him on the beach with his arms draped over his knees and just staring out at the sea.

"He misses his father," Vera informed upon entering the Great Hall for lunch as no one yet knew what was wrong with their Chief.

"What?" Valka asked.

"Hiccup isn't off flying; he's on the beach, sitting in front of Stoick's memorial stone," Vera said softly.

"You think it might be due to today's holiday?" Brynjar inquired. He'd come with Katja, Viggo, Kelda, Brenden, Ander, Colden, Ryker, and Hertha to celebrate Snoggletog together. Of course, Brynjar had wanted to see Astrid; things between them were getting pretty serious. Brynjar asked Astrid to be his girlfriend while Hiccup and Vera were on their honeymoon, and Astrid accepted.

"I think it's he's upset about all the time he lost with his father," Katja said. "Hiccup and Stoick didn't have a good relationship; then Hiccup left for 8 years. Stoick and Hiccup had one Christmas together in Denmark, and now…Stoick is gone after all that stuff when Valka returned about being a family again,"

"I think you might be right," Ander agreed with his girlfriend.

"Same," Colden nodded.

"Makes the most sense," Astrid said.

"And today is supposed to be a holiday for family and friends," Valka sighed. "I'll go talk to him," she stood and exited the Great Hall.

 **. . .**

 _ **[12:20 pm]  
**_ _[Thor's Beach]_

"Hiccup?" Valka asked. Hiccup instantly looked back to see her; then turned his face away to wipe the wetness and tears from his face.

"Mom, hi…Is, uh…Is everything okay in the village?" Hiccup asked instantly, coughing to clear his throat.

"You don't honestly think you can hide how you're feeling from me, do you?" Valka asked.

"I don't know what you're-," Hiccup started as Valka sat beside him, cupping his face with her hand.

"I miss him too, son," Valka said as Hiccup shut right up. "We all miss him," Hiccup lowered his head, wiping another tear that leaked down his face. Valka pulled him against her and Hiccup didn't fight it. "I know it hurts, Hiccup. I spent 22 years away from you and him; we were finally together again, and then he left us unexpectedly,"

"No…No, he gave his life to save mine because I was too weak to stop Drago…" Hiccup clenched his fist.

"Hiccup; you're the strongest person I know next to your father. Even if you had been able to get through to Toothless before the blast, your father would have sacrificed himself another way. Nothing would have stopped him from giving his life for you, me, the Tribe. You were the one he protected, yes, but Hiccup; he was the Chief, and he would have done it for anyone," Valka explained.

"Your mom is right, Hiccup," Hiccup turned quickly to see Vera there, but not far behind her was his in-laws, the Andersons, Gobber, and basically the whole Tribe. "Stoick would have given his life for anyone; it just happened to be you in the heat of the moment when the Bewilderbeast overpowered Toothless, and there was no time for you to calmly get through to Toothless to break the hold,"

"And Hiccup, you're just like your father…" Gobber added in. "Boar-headed and stubborn," Gobber rolled his eyes. "But, you get yours from him, Hiccup. Spitelout is right. You couldn't have stopped your dad from doing what he did; he knew the dangers and didn't care as long as you were safe. And you did the same thing to protect us,"

"And you'd do it again if necessary. You said it yourself, Hiccup; the same as your father lived and died by. A Chief Protects Their Own. At the time, Stoick was Chief, and he did he felt he needed to do in his own way to protect the Tribe, by protecting you. And you immediately stepped into your role as Chief, Hiccup, and you did whatever it took to keep not just your Tribe safe, but all of ours," Viggo offered. "We all would have done it in the same position,"

"Regardless of being Chief or Chieftess, Hiccup…A parent will do anything to protect their child," Valka said softly, stroking his hair from behind. "I know it hurts that he is gone, son, but he'll always be with you,"

"I know…He told me," Hiccup replied.

"What do you mean?" Vera asked.

"The day he died…In this same spot before I fired the arrow; he told me he'd always be with me," Hiccup said, looking out to the water again.

"Explain, son?" Valka inquired as Hiccup stood up, taking a breath, but still facing the water.

"Everyone saw me hesitate on firing," Hiccup began. "I couldn't do it. I knew it meant saying goodbye, and I didn't want to do that; I didn't want it to be real. But…I heard a voice in the wind tell me to let go. I was confused, but I knew the voice belonged to my dad. I still didn't shoot, and I heard him say again; _Let go. I'm always with you._ The last thing he said after I realized that my father would always live on in my memories and heart was; _I love you, son_. I told him I loved him back, and that's when I was able to fire the arrow," he stated.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about this; it's unheard of," Astrid mentioned.

"Actually…It's not, Ast. Many people beyond the Archipelago believe that spirits of those who have passed on find ways to communicate with us. It could be a dream, something simple like getting a nudging or pulling feeling to do something. But…A lot of people report feeling a comforting wind and hearing voices around them," Brynjar said softly. Valka stood up and cupped Hiccup's cheek again as Vera held Hiccup's hand.

"Listen, son. When I was younger, my father used to tell me around the holidays when I was missing my mother who passed away from disease when I was about 13 years old; _I know what it's like to miss someone you love around the holidays. But can you do when they can't be here with us; you celebrate them._ So, I think that's what we should do. You know your father wouldn't want us to be upset on a day like this," Valka offered.

"Yeah, I know…I guess it just kind'a hit me when I woke up this morning and went flying that he wasn't here for Berk's first Snoggletog with the dragons…And all the other things he missed like my wedding, being named Chief…The birth of his second grandchild…" Hiccup sighed, wiping his eyes again. "All things I know he wanted to be part of,"

It was a bit silent now, and just like it happened in September; a wind whipped through and circled Hiccup. It was warm as Hiccup lifted his head to the sky, closing his eyes.

 _I'm here. I'm always here, son._

Hiccup managed a smile as he dried his eyes again. "I know, Dad," It came out of the blue, but after Brynjar's explanation to Astrid; it appeared that Stoick had come to comfort his son. "Alright," Hiccup wiped his eyes, smiling a little. "It's Snoggletog and before Dad decided to bury us in a blizzard for being upset; let's go celebrate," he announced. Everyone cheered and began heading back for the Great Hall. Hiccup stayed on the beach a moment more, smiling at the seat. "I miss you more than words can ever say, and I love you, Dad," after that, Hiccup walked with Toothless and Lightheart back to the hall to celebrate Snoggletog.

 **. . .**

 _ **[Saturday, 3/16/2019-4:35 am]  
**_ _[Haddock Home]_

Well, a lot had happened in 3 months. Astrid was living on Protector Isle, yes the name for Hunters Isle officially changed when Viggo named Brynjar Chief of the Dragon Protectors. Astrid and Brynjar have married a week ago, and Brynjar became Chief at the start of March. Dagur married Mala and ruling Defenders of the Wing with her. Heather is preparing to take over Berserker with Fishlegs at her side, the wedding had not yet been decided. Camicazi got the law changed, and Tuffnut will become Chief of Bog-Burglar beside Camicazi in April. Eret and Ruffnut were married in February, and just learned they have a child on the way. Snotlout has moved to Lava-Lout and will be marrying Ragna by Summer. Replacing Snotlout and Fishlegs on Hiccup's council was Gustav and Gobber.

Hiccup and Vera's birthdays had passed. Hiccup is now 23, and Vera, 19. Emma was officially 10 months old as of the 13 of March, and the newest addition to the Haddock Household was due in about 2 weeks as Vera is 38 weeks pregnant. Everything was peaceful on Berk, and Hiccup ran the Hooligans as well, if not better than his father. Toothless and Lightheart had their two babies; a boy and a girl. One of the dragons, the female was Toothless's shade of black and had blue eyes like Lightheart, and the male was on the grayish side with Toothless's green eyes. The male was named Graycloud, and the girl, Blackscale. Everyone was sleeping right now except for those doing their guard shift; there would be another switch at 6 am. Hiccup was laying with his wife, fast asleep.

Suddenly, Vera awoke with a start as she sat up. Vera took a few breaths, rubbing her belly. "It's okay baby," Vera soothed. Hiccup was still fast asleep as Vera decided she might as well get up and use the bathroom. Vera took the blankets off and stood up. Vera felt a sharp pain as she gripped the headboard and tried to relax. Vera made her way to the bathroom and flipped the light on. Vera used the restroom and washed her hands before shutting the light out and preparing to walk back to the bed. Another pain shot through her as she panted a bit; this was stronger than the other two. These pains were happening every 5 minutes, and Vera didn't think that was right. Still, perhaps she just needed to get some more rest.

Vera sat on the bed and prepared to lay down, but then it happened; her water broke. Shock and fear washed over her as she knew she was still 2 weeks from her due date. "Hiccup…" Vera said lightly. Hiccup didn't wake. "Hiccup," Vera tried again, whimpering as she felt another pain. Hiccup remained asleep, Vera knew her husband was a heavy sleeper since becoming Chief. Hiccup had early mornings and late nights all the time. Vera cringed with a hand on her belly; she moved her other hand to Hiccup, shaking him a little. "Hiccup! Hiccup, wake up, please?"

Finally, Hiccup groaned a little and yawned. "Hm…What's up, babe?" Hiccup asked lightly.

"Hiccup…My water broke," Vera said.

"Okay…I'll fix it in the mor-," Hiccup began tiredly, but stopped; the words running through his head again as he quickly sat up in bed. "Wait, what did you just say?" he asked again.

"M-My water…Ow…Broke…" Vera stated again.

"When?" Hiccup inquired.

"J-Just now when I…Sat down…" Vera cried a little how the pains felt. Hiccup got out of the bed and moved around in front of her.

"Okay…Okay, don't panic. Where's your bag? We'll go to the hospital," Hiccup informed.

"D-Downstairs…I-In the closet," Vera said. Hiccup helped Vera up, slipping her boots on her feet first. Hiccup assisted Vera downstairs and had her sit on the couch while he went upstairs to get Emma from her room. Hiccup helped Vera outside and sitting on Toothless's back. Hiccup ran Emma over to his mother's place, knocking on the door. Valka answered 3 minutes later, tiredly. Hiccup handed Emma to her.

"Vera's water broke," Hiccup said. Valka perked right up and nodded.

"Go, go; I got Emma. Keep me updated," Valka said. Hiccup kissed Emma's forehead and then his mother's cheek before hurry to Toothless and having him fly carefully and at a low-level to the hospital. It wasn't as advanced, but it had what was needed for emergency care. Toothless landed as Hiccup carried his wife in, the bag on his arms.

"Chief, what's wrong?" asked one of the helpers. There was no reception; it was just 3 women trained for childbirths overnight and standard first aid. There were men too, but the women handled births.

"Vera's…Water broke about 7 minutes ago," Hiccup explained.

"Bring her right in," the girl said. Hiccup followed the woman to the room and set Vera down on the bed. Hiccup stepped out of the way but didn't leave Vera's side. The woman and another one worked to get Vera out of her clothes and into a gown. One of them got between Vera's legs and checked her dilation.

"How far?" the second woman, much younger and about 26 years old asked.

"She must have been in labor through the night because she's already about 6 centimeters dilated," the older woman, about 39 replied. "Did you have any discomfort last night, Chieftess Vera?"

"N-Not really," Vera shook her head. "The pains started around 4:35 am, 5 minutes apart,"

"Well, you're in the right place. Don't worry about a thing," the older woman smiled. Hiccup nodded and kissed Vera's head; this was it. In however much longer it took to reach 10 centimeters; his and Vera's child would be born.

 **. . .**

 _ **[9:50 am]**_

As soon as 7 am hit, Hiccup texted everyone who needed to know about the event. He was sure the Hooligans would learn from Henrik, who was Acting Chief for the time being. Mari was now on the team to help Vera give birth, so that set Hiccup at some ease. Vera hit 7 centimeters by 5 am, 8 by 8:45 am, and now they were just waiting on the final two so Vera could push. The Grimborns, Kelda, Brenden, Colden, and Ander had arrived around 9:15 am; they flew as fast as they were able on their dragons. Hertha was now at Vera's side to help support her through everything. All the Chieftains had been informed too but told not to come until a few days after the baby had been born. Also, to let Hiccup know when they were coming.

Mari strolled in with a smile and sat on the edge of the bed while pulling on a single black glove from off the wall. "Shall we check and see if we're there yet?" Mari asked.

"Yes…Please…It hurts, and I feel a lot of pressure," Vera admitted. Mari spread Vera's legs and set her hand in position to check. Mari smiled broadly.

"It's time, sweetheart," Mari informed. Minutes later; everything was set up and everyone in place. "Now, I want you to push and hold it for 10 seconds; then breathe until I tell you to push again. Alright?" Mari instructed. Vera nodded. "Push!" Vera did so. "Good girl, now breathe and get ready again," this process continued for 6 minutes. "I've got the head. Just give me one more good one, Vera," Mari smiled. Vera did and yelled out as she did.

"Come on, babe; you got this…" Hiccup offered, kissing her forehead and letting Vera squeeze his hand tightly. The baby came out and cried loudly. Vera entirely relaxed, panting hard.

"The baby is out and…We have a boy!" Mari announced. "Congratulations," Vera smiled as Hiccup kissed her deeply. A boy! He had a son! "Now…What will we be naming him?"

"Tradition says the father names the baby, so go ahead babe," Vera said. Hiccup thought about and smiled; he already knew.

"His name will be…"

 **. . .**

 _ **[Monday, 3/18/2018-6 pm]  
**_ _[The Great Hall]_

Everyone had come out for the big reveal of Hiccup and Vera's first child and legal successor to the throne of Berk. Now, they were all in the Great Hall for dinner to celebrate the birth and meet the new baby. Dinner would begin right after Hiccup, and Vera arrived with the little bundle of joy and announced the name. The doors opened as Hiccup walked in with Vera, who was holding the newborn. Reaching the front of the room; it hushed instantly as Hiccup took the baby from Vera once she sat down.

"Everyone," Hiccup began. "I'd like for you to meet the next ruler of Berk, mine and Vera's son; Stoick the Second Haddock," Hiccup introduced while shifting his arms so everyone could see the baby in his arms. It was a boy, and Hiccup named him after his father, which everyone saw coming if Hiccup had a son. The room uproared in cheering and clapping. All Hiccup felt was the warm breeze of his father's presence surround him, and know he was there too. After some time, people began to eat while Hiccup watched Vera feed their son; he couldn't imagine a more perfect life. Hiccup couldn't help but remember where it all started over 9 years ago now; he'd been right. Sometimes the only way to survive and reach the ultimate happiness was to keep moving forward in life.

 **(Author's Note;** _And so ends In Order To Survive. Hope everyone enjoyed it! Not sure what I'm doing next, but it will be a Toothless and Hiccup story for sure. Thank you always for the continued support, and I'll be back soon! -Nightstar Fury_ **.)**


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